


Beautiful Creatures

by Aberial_63



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beautiful creatures au, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Hazel-Eyed Alec Lightwood, Human Alec, M/M, Magic, but the enemies part is short, warlock magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-07-10 17:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15953915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aberial_63/pseuds/Aberial_63
Summary: In the small town of Gatlin, S.C., teenage Alec Lightwood sees his static world shaken by the arrival of Magnus Bane, the nephew of town patriarch Ragnor Fell. Immediately, Alec feels drawn to Magnus, even though destruction seems to surround him, and he has supernatural powers that are beyond his control. Worse still, a curse looms for Magnus at the approach of his 17th birthday -- a time when the forces of either light or dark will claim him.(yes I just used the movie description, but I'm bad at summaries and this was easier lol)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> tw: slight homophobia in chapter 1

Alec woke up panting. His chest heaved with every breath, his lungs screaming for oxygen. A cold sweat ran down his neck, tracing a line down his spine. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on slowing down his racing pulse. 

 

When would these dreams stop haunting him at night?

 

It was always the same. He was standing in a seemingly never-ending field of tall grass. A storm of crackling lightning, booming thunder, and howling winds roared around him. He always appeared to be alone at the beginning, but he could feel eyes on him like someone was watching him from somewhere just out of view. He'd run and run and run through the pouring rain to escape those eyes, but they followed him for miles. Sometimes he'd feel fingers brush his arm or hot breath on his neck, but when he'd turn to see who it was, there was nothing but an open expanse behind him. 

 

Just when it felt like his legs were about to give out and he couldn't go on any longer, a man would appear on the horizon. Alec didn't know who this man was, but something about him would call out to Alec. For some reason, the man felt like safety from the eyes and Alec would charge on, hoping that the man would save him. As he drew nearer, Alec would be able to make out only glimpses of the man's appearance through the downpour: tan skin, spiked hair, and a set of glowing golden irises. When Alec finally was close enough to touch the man, he would reach out his hand, but the man would evaporate into the air like he'd never been there at all. 

 

Then, Alec would wake up, shaking and terrified. 

 

He'd been having these dreams for almost a year. The first dream had been on a random night during sophomore year and he'd been so scared that he ran to Izzy's room in search of comfort. They'd been happening nearly every night since then.        

 

Alec had tried to figure it out, but he had no idea what had caused these dreams. As far as he knew, nothing traumatic had happened that could've triggered nightmares like this. He'd never seen the mysterious man outside of his late night imagination. The whole thing was utterly baffling.

 

Alec tried to lay back and relax into his pillow, but he couldn't fall asleep again. Just like the dreams, this was normal too. He could never settle down after them, no matter how hard he tried. This had resulted in an extremely sleep-deprived year for Alec. 

 

He reached for his worn out copy of Catcher in the Rye, but even as he flipped through the yellowing pages, he couldn't force his mind to focus. He felt jittery and his skin felt alive with anxiety. He found no solace in the familiar words on the page. 

 

He'd have to find another way to blow off some steam. 

 

Reluctantly, Alec rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a ratty, faded tee. As quietly as he could, he tiptoed out of the house and into the hazy and humid Gatlin air. As soon as he'd cleared the driveway, he started to run. Lately, this had been the only way to clear his head. If he pushed his limbs almost to the limit, he could forget everything except the scenery that surrounded him. 

 

Gatlin was the dingy little rural community that not even the other dingy rural communities knew about. The only remarkable things about it were a weirdly good frozen yogurt place on Main Street and that it had been the site of a forgotten battle during the Civil War. Well, the rest of the world had forgotten about this particular battle, but Gatlin certainly hadn't if the annual reenactment was anything to go by. Other than that, Gatlin was wholly irrelevant. 

 

Alec's mother had always said there were two different kinds of people who lived in Gatlin: those too stupid to move and those too stuck to leave. If Alec had to guess which one his mother was, he would say that she was stuck. Why she was stuck, though, was a trickier question. Maybe it was her job at the local clinic. Maybe it was their house that had been handed down the through the generations of Lightwoods. Or maybe it was Luke, her boyfriend of two years who seemed perfectly content to stay in Gatlin and run the town library. Whatever the reason was, Maryse Lightwood, and thus her children, were stuck in Gatlin for the foreseeable future (a fact that Alec greatly resented.)

 

About twenty minutes into his run, Alec slowed to catch his breath and make a quick stop on Greenbriar Hill. The sun would peak over the horizon in a few minutes and it had the best view in town. Alec laid down on his back and watched the sun start it's climb into the sky. He was positive this was the best part of living in Gatlin. 

 

As he laid there, he let his fingers splay out against the grass and dirt. The cool earth grounded him and he could breathe normally for the first time since he'd woken up. 

 

Absently, he dragged his fingers over a patch where the grass refused to grow, but his attention was captured when he felt a particularly large bump in the dirt. He looked down and, after a bit of digging around, he pulled from the ground what looked like an old antique necklace. It was silver and had four crescent moons carved around a little sapphire stone in the center. Upon further inspection, Alec discovered it was actually a locket. Inside, instead of having a space for a picture, there was only a smooth panel and a cursive engraving:

 

_ JL & CB, December 21, 1862 _

 

Alec marveled at the locket. It was gorgeous and obviously extremely old. He'd have to ask Luke about it sometime. He may have been a librarian, but he was also an avid historian. If you needed to know anything about Gatlin's past, Luke was the man to ask. Surely he could provide some insight on this little treasure.  

 

After a few more minutes, Alec shoved the necklace into his pocket. He could have stayed there forever, but it was getting late and he still had to shower before school. He spared the sunrise one final longing glance before jogging back to his house.

 

When Alec made it back inside, he grabbed a change of clothes from his room and placed the locket in his bedside drawer before turning back towards to the bathroom. Unfortunately for him, his sister Isabelle was just about to walk into the bathroom and start her routine that took nearly an hour.

 

"Oh, no," Alec protested. "Iz, you can't go first. By the time you're done, we'll already be late."

 

"Sorry, hermano," she shrugged. "The bathroom is first come, first serve. You know the rules."

 

"I went on a run and I stink. Please, just let me take a quick shower and then you can take as long as you want doing your hair or whatever."

 

Izzy crossed her arms stubbornly, but it was extremely hard to take her seriously when she was wearing pink onsie pajamas and fluffy bunny slippers. 

 

"Not my problem," she answered as she opened the door.

 

Alec huffed out a sigh. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice."

 

He approached her and picked her up, throwing her easily over his shoulder.

 

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood, put me down this instant!" she shrieked. "This is so not fair!"

 

"Sorry, sis, but I'm not gonna be late on the first day of school."

 

She kicked her feet and squirmed in his arms, but he managed to keep his hold on her until he reached her bedroom. He tossed her gently onto her bed before spinning on his heel and racing back into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. 

 

Isabelle chased after him, but it was futile. She pounded on the door furiously. 

 

"You're the worst brother ever!"

 

"I love you too, Izzy," he replied through the door. 

 

Alec hopped into the shower and rinsed off the sweat from his pre-dawn run. After a while, Izzy's knocks faded off and Alec couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself. He got dressed and finished getting ready within ten minutes. 

 

When he reemerged, Izzy was waiting impatiently outside the door.

 

"Oh, did you need to get in here?" Alec asked innocently. 

 

Izzy tried to scowl at him, but he could see a fond smile underneath it. 

 

"You're such a dick," Izzy said with a chuckle as she pushed past him, closing the door. 

 

Alec smirked as he made his way downstairs. He was greeted by the sight of Maryse and Luke smiling softly over coffee. It was times like this that it just hit him how much things had changed since Robert Lightwood, king of the dirtbags, had left almost three years ago. When he was still there, he had always forced Maryse to give in to his will, especially when it came to his rejection of Alec after he came out as gay. None of them were willing to speak out against him and it felt like there was a wall that separated the Lightwoods from one another.

 

Once he was gone, Maryse had done her best to make amends with her son and she'd learned to accept him for who he was. Then, after a brief period of mourning for her dead marriage, Luke had stepped into Maryse's life. With his love and care, Maryse had blossomed into one of the most radiant women Alec knew. She was softer and kinder with her children. She opened up to the rest of the world again. Beyond that, they all learned how to be a family again and love found its way back into the walls. Their home was so much brighter without Robert Lightwood tainting the air.  

 

"Hey, kiddo," Luke greeted when Alec fully entered the kitchen. 

 

"Hey, Luke. Hi, Mom," Alec said as he went to get a cup of coffee for himself. 

 

"Good morning, Alec," Maryse said warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

 

Alec grimaced. 

 

"As well as I can these days," he answered vaguely as he sat down with them. 

 

"Still having those nightmares?" Luke questioned, sharing a concerned glance with Maryse. 

 

"Yeah."

 

Alec felt his cheeks grow hot. He tried not to mention the dreams often; it would only worry his family. 

 

"Alec, are you sure you don't want to go see my psychiatrist friend in the city?" Maryse asked. "Maybe he could help you work through whatever this is."

 

Alec shook his head firmly. "No, Mom, it's fine. There's nothing to work through. They're just random nightmares. I'm fine."

 

"But it's been a year and-"

 

Alec cut her off. "I'm okay. I promise."

 

He reached out and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He could see that she was still troubled, but he needed her to drop it. He could deal with this on his own. 

 

"Alright, Alec. If you say so," she relented. 

 

The rest of the morning passed without issue. Alec finished his assigned summer reading while Maryse and Luke chatted about some article from The New Yorker. Izzy came downstairs two minutes before they needed to leave.  

 

"Wow, nice job, Isabelle. I think you got ready in record time this morning," Alec teased. 

 

"What can I say? I'm extremely talented," she shot back.

 

After a wave goodbye to their mother and Luke, Alec and Izzy hop into his old sedan, Alec in the driver's seat and Izzy in the back. Right before they start driving, Simon Lewis, Alec's best friend and their nextdoor neighbor, opened the passenger door and flopped into the seat beside Alec. 

 

"Trying to leave without me, Lightwood?" he said with a grin. 

 

"Emphasis on trying. Way to ruin it, Si," Alec drawled dryly. 

 

"Anytime, buddy."

 

They eventually pull out of the driveway to make their rounds to pick up Clary, Izzy's girlfriend, and Maia before heading towards Gatlin High. 

 

When they reached the school, the gang unpacked themselves from the crowded car and made their way into that place that would be their hell for the next nine months. Fortunately, Alec had English first period so the day likely would start on a relatively high note. Unfortunately, Alec only had Clary in that class with him so he would have to say goodbye to the rest of his friends until lunch later that day. 

 

Alec and Clary sat down in desks by the door in Mrs. Penhallow's room and talked about their schedules for a few minutes. Frankly, neither of them was awake enough to talk about anything more complicated than that. 

 

However, Alec's attention was abruptly drawn away from Clary when the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen walked into the room. Compared to the usual guys of Gatlin, this boy was totally outlandish. His eyes were smudged with dark kohl, his hair was styled into a perfect coif and dyed with magenta streaks, and he wore a blood red blazer over an all black ensemble. He was nothing like the downtrodden and sloppy boys that Alec had grown up with, but he still felt eerily familiar. 

 

The boy let his eyes wander disinterestedly over the rest of the students. He paused when he saw Alec staring at him, but he moved on after a second. He sat down a few rows over from Alec and Clary and immediately started texting on his phone. 

 

"Who is that?" Alec asked Clary breathlessly. Just that one second of eye contact had shaken him to his core.

 

"No clue," Clary replied. "But he sure is gorgeous, wouldn't you say?"

 

He tore his eyes from the mystery boy to glare at Clary. 

 

"Don't start, Fray. And keep your voice down."

 

She hit his shoulder playfully. "No one's listening to us. Lighten up a little, Alec." She paused and then added more seriously, "Besides, you know I wouldn't risk outing you, or me for that matter, like that."

 

Alec took a breath and nodded. Just like most rural towns, Gatlin wasn't the most accepting of people who were different from the "good", heterosexual Christian norm. Being out with his close friends and family was one thing; being out with the whole town was a completely different thing. Alec, Clary, and Izzy weren't ashamed of themselves in the slightest, but sometimes it was safer to keep some parts of themselves private. 

 

Alec smirked and then whispered, "You aren't wrong, though. He  _ is  _ gorgeous."

 

Clary giggled and they settled back in their chairs until the bell rang and Mrs. Penhallow entered. 

 

"Welcome to English 11, folks. Let's make this a good year." She looked down at a paper in her hand for a moment before looking at the mysterious boy. "It seems we have a new student. Magnus Bane?"

 

The boy flicked his eyes up to Mrs. Penhallow and offered her a half-hearted wave. 

 

"That would be me," he said flatly. And, oh, if that deep voice didn't do all sorts of things to Alec's composure. 

 

"Mrs. Penhallow?" a voice called from the back. Alec rolled his eyes because he would recognize that horrible voice anywhere. 

 

"Yes, Jonathan?" 

 

"I think that paper has the wrong last name. I know for a fact that he is old Ragnor Fell's nephew. It is Magnus Fell, right?"

 

Magnus turned back and glared coldly at Jonathan Morgenstern. 

 

"I can guarantee it is not. I should know my own last name, don't you think?"

 

The whole class snickered. 

 

"I can't believe you used to be friends with that prick," Clary murmured.

 

"Neither can I," Alec muttered.

 

Jonathan and Alec had been friends up until Alec's father left them. Robert and Valentine Morgenstern, the local minister, had been extremely close and they had made sure that their sons were playmates growing up. After Robert left and there was no one pushing them together, Alec had realized how utterly shitty Jonathan was and dumped him in favor of Simon and the others almost immediately. 

 

"Well, even if you're not a Fell by name, you still live with the old recluse at Fell Manor, don't you?"

 

Magnus appeared bored at the question. 

 

"Yes, not that it's any of your business."

 

Mrs. Penhallow clapped her hands together once to get the class' attention back. "Well, I think that's quite enough of that. So, we will start with-"

 

"Is it true that your uncle is a Satanist?" Jonathan calls out, interrupting her. "That's what my father says. He says that's why he stays cooped up in that house rather than mingling with the rest of us Christians."

 

Everyone knew the rumors. Ragnor Fell was the town's own Boo Radley and he never left his huge house at the edge of the community. Ragnor's family basically built the town and he owned a good portion of the land, but no one ever saw him come down to manage it. After living for decades away from the rest of Gatlin, the town gossips had come up with the ridiculous idea that he must be worshipping Satan and performing ungodly rituals to pass his time. To them, that was the only reason a person would want to avoid their company. It couldn't be their snarky, judgmental attitudes. No, satanism was the only explanation. 

 

"A satanist? Well, that certainly is quite the accusation," Magnus replied with a quirked brow. 

 

"Boys, please," Mrs. Penhallow pleaded.

 

"You didn't answer my question. What about you, Bane? Are you a satanist like your dear old uncle?"

 

"Unfortunately not," Magnus said. "But how fun it would be if I was."

 

Jonathan assessed Magnus for a moment and then his eyes lit up with an idea. Alec recognized that glint in his eyes and he knew something truly terrible was about to come spilling out of his mouth. 

 

"Maybe not a satanist, but obviously something equally as unholy. I mean just look at you."

 

Alec stiffened and he saw Clary do the same out of the corner of his eye. They both knew where this was going. 

 

Magnus squinted for a moment before realization spread across his features. 

 

"Oh, I see. You think I'm gay?"

 

Jonathan just smirked proudly in response. 

 

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but wrong again. I am bisexual though, so you were on the right track." 

 

The class gasped. No one at this school had ever been so brazenly out before.

 

Magnus continued, "Oh, but don't you worry your little blonde head over it, dear. You're not really my type."

 

Alec couldn't hold back his shocked laugh. He couldn't help it when Jonathan was getting torn to shreds right in from of him. 

 

Unfortunately, the room was pretty much dead silent so suddenly everyone was looking at him. 

 

Magnus was looking at Alec inquisitively and Jonathan was shooting daggers at him with his eyes. 

 

"Did you have something to say, Alec?" Jonathan hissed. 

 

Alec cast a panicked glance at Clary, but she seemed too surprised to offer any kind of guidance. 

 

Before Alec could even think it through he said, "Just that I think it's about time you shut your mouth. I think we could all agree we've heard enough of your irritating voice to last a lifetime."

 

There was silence for a beat and then everyone broke out laughing. Alec went beet red before turning to face forward again. 

 

Mrs. Penhallow finally stepped back in.

 

"And on that note, let's get down to business."

 

Everyone slowly started to settle down and class actually commenced 

 

"Nice one," Clary said lowly, but Alec barely heard her. He was too busy trying to see Magnus' reaction without getting caught looking. From Alec's perspective, he could see Magnus staring at him. The expression on his face wasn't one of gratitude, but instead it looked quite angry. Alec had been just trying to get Jonathan off his back, but the other boy seemed rather put off by it. 

 

Alec was completely confused, but he couldn't focus on that now because he was distantly aware that Mrs. Penhallow was going over the syllabus and he should probably listen to that instead of thinking about Magnus Bane. Or, at the very least, he should  _ try _ not to think about him.  

 

.

 

To say Magnus was having a bad day would be a massive understatement. 

 

Realistically, he knew that the first day at any new school was bound to suck no matter who you were, no matter what school  it was. Still, he would've appreciated not getting called a satanist on the first day. His peers could've waited until at least day three for that shit. 

 

All day, he could feel people's eyes on him. He felt like a walking circus act and he knew the attention wasn't because of his superior fashion sense (though that might have played a small role in it.) No, people were staring at him because he was Ragnor Fell's nephew and obviously that meant he was an outcast as well. They didn't care that he hadn't wanted to live with him in the first place or that he would rather be anywhere else in the world. To them, all that mattered was that he looked different and he acted different and he had an antisocial old bat for an uncle. 

 

Though Magnus had been mostly unsurprised by the student body's reaction to him, he had been surprised by how much it was getting to him already. He'd gone into this feeling untouchable, but a day among the Gatlin kids had made him feel more vulnerable than he'd like to admit. 

 

As the final bell rang, all Magnus could think about was driving home and hiding up in his room for the rest of the night with the book on theoretical physics that Ragnor had bought for him. He wanted to forget about every glare and insult and sneer that had been hurled at him today. He wanted some time to repair his walls that had started to crack under his fellow students' vicious scrutiny.  

 

Of course, he couldn't forget right away because he was still making his way through the parking lot and the stares didn't stop just because school was over. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of that asshole Jonathan who had pestered him in first period. Something bitter cracked within Magnus and he couldn't fight the urge just to mess with him a little bit. With a little wave of his fingers, rain clouds rolled in and released a torrent of rain down on the parking lot, but especially on Jonathan Morgenstern. Magnus bit back a smile of satisfaction as he watched the boy cry out at the sudden drenching and struggle to unlock his car to use as shelter.  

 

However, the rain was also falling down on Magnus and he was getting just as wet as everyone else. When he realized this, he tried to stop it, but his magic was still feeding on the rage in his heart and it continued to pour. 

 

"Shit," Magnus swore before rushing to his car. 

 

He really needed to work on controlling his powers. With his birthday coming up, they were only going to keep getting stronger and he needed to rein them in before something went seriously wrong. 

 

With the weight of the day still heavy in his chest and the rain continuing to fall, Magnus started his drive back to Fell Manor. He blasted the radio in the hopes that it would drown out his thoughts and it only kind of worked. He kept his eyes on the road and used the melodies as a distraction. 

 

By the time he was about halfway there, he was starting to feel a bit better. Instead of bullies and mean looks, he was thinking about his homework and the chemistry assignment that could potentially be a little bit of fun. He was thinking about Ragnor's promise to make his famous dumplings for dinner. 

 

However, when he turned onto one of the muddy back roads, he started to think about how his car was slowing down and if that weird grinding noise had been happening the whole ride.  

 

After a few more feet, the car came to a full halt. 

 

"No no no," Magnus muttered. "You've gotta be kidding me."

 

Magnus put his head down on the steering wheel and tried to stop the tears of frustration that were threatening to spill. Of course his car would break down. Of course it would happen on one of the worst days of his life. Of fucking course.

 

Magnus breathed deeply to calm himself. He could deal with this. He could fix this stupid car and then drive himself back to that stupid house and forget about this stupid day and his stupid classmates. He was Magnus Bane for god's sake! He could handle this.

 

He stepped out into the rain and marched around to the front of his car. He popped the hood. The grey coil of smoke that came from inside was so thick it made him cough and his eyes started to water. Once it cleared and Magnus could get a better look at the machinery, he realized that he knew exactly nothing about cars. Maybe he couldn't handle this. 

 

Magnus kicked the car angrily, but it hurt him more than it hurt the car. Pain raced through his foot and thunder cracked in the sky. The rain came down started coming down even harder.

 

He needed to call Ragnor. Ragnor must have the number for a tow truck or something. At the very least, he could come and pick Magnus up so he wasn't stranded three miles from home and soaking wet. Magnus dug through his pockets and pulled out his phone. As if his luck couldn't get any worse, his battery was dead. 

 

"Great," he laughed sourly. "Really, this is just great."

 

He felt out of options. What else was there left to do? He stood back from his car and stared at with disdain. He considered trying to use his magic to fix it, but he had no idea where to even start with it. 

 

As he combed through his memory for a spell that would work, he felt like nothing else could possibly make this day worse. 

 

Apparently, he was wrong. 

 

Just as he thought he'd landed on a spell that might do the trick, he heard the sound of an approaching car. He looked up and it was way closer than he'd thought. Magnus had just barely enough time to jump out of the way and the car skidded to a stop. 

 

Magnus' heart pounded in his chest. If he'd been a moment too slow he would've been dead. That thought was almost crippling. 

 

The driver got out and Magnus felt fury bubble in his veins. 

 

"What the hell, you idiot! Watch where you're going next time!"

 

When the driver approached him, Magnus cursed every imaginable god he could think of for his misfortune. 

 

"Magnus, oh my god, are you alright?" Alec asked frantically. 

 

"Am I alright? I was almost hit by a car! No, I'm not alright!"

 

"I'm so sorry," he tried to apologize, but Magnus wasn't really hearing it. "I didn't even see you there."

 

"Well then maybe you should get glasses or something because it shouldn't be that hard to see a goddamn person standing in the middle of the road," Magnus snapped. 

 

At Magnus' tone, Alec took a step back and crossed his arms defensively. 

 

"Maybe you shouldn't stand in the middle of the road," Alec retorted. "What are you even doing out here anyway? It's raining pretty hard."

 

"Oh, is it? I hadn't noticed." Magnus pinched the bridge of his nose to push back his oncoming headache. "My car broke down. I was trying to figure out a way to get home."

 

Alec studied Magnus for a minute. Magnus wanted to shrink away from his gaze, but he held his ground because he was too pissed off to be anything but defiant. 

 

Finally, Alec sighed and said, "Do you want a ride?"

 

Magnus scoffed. "Why? Do you want to play the hero again?"

 

Alec seemed genuinely confused at that. "Excuse me?"

 

"Earlier today," Magnus clarified. "You stepped in with Jonathan even though I clearly had it under control. I didn't need your help then and I don't need it now, so you're going to have to find your ego boost or whatever it is that you're looking for somewhere else."

 

"Magnus, I was just trying to help, to be  _ nice.  _ He's an asshole and he needed to be put in his place. I didn't do it for some personal agenda to feel good about myself like you're suggesting. You can keep yelling at me about it if you want, but can you at least do it on the car ride back to your place? I can't just leave you here and I don't want to stand out here any longer than I have to." 

 

Magnus glowered at him as he thought about it. This guy probably had some self-serving motive for being so "nice", but Magnus didn't really have any other options at the moment. 

 

"Fine," he grumbled, trudging past Alec to slide into the passenger seat. Alec got in a few seconds later and started the drive to Fell Manor. 

 

The first five minutes of the drive were passed in silence. Magnus was too preoccupied with the chill that had crept deep into his bones and trying not to look at his current company. 

 

Magnus shivered despite himself and Alec glanced over. 

 

"Are you cold?" he asked. 

 

"No," Magnus said firmly. 

 

Still, Alec flipped on the car's heating system. And Magnus wanted to be infuriated with him for blatantly ignoring his answer, but he couldn't find the energy once the warmth melted the icy feeling in his muscles. 

 

"Thanks," Magnus acquiesced.

 

Alec chewed at his lip for a while before speaking again.

 

"Magnus, I wanna be clear about this. I didn't speak up because I thought you couldn't handle Jonathan on your own. Like you said, you were perfectly capable of dealing with him by yourself. I mean you were a freaking badass up there. No one ever says anything to Jonathan and then you just turn around and face him like it's nothing. It was awesome. I knew you could take care if it, but you shouldn't have had to. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of his crap, and I was hoping I could spare you the same thing."

 

Magnus blinked a few times before he realized how much of an idiot he was. He'd been too blinded by his own pride and his hurt and he'd taken it out on someone who was truly trying to be kind. 

 

"Oh," Magnus said simply.

 

"Oh?" Alec repeated playfully. "I give you that whole speech and that's all you have to say?"

 

"I mean you did almost hit me with your car. I don't really feel like I owe you much more than that."

 

Alec threw his head back laughing and Magnus noticed just how handsome this boy was. His smile was pink and crooked, but it was endearing. He had little dimples and his eyes crinkled adorably at the corners. He couldn't stop himself from smiling back. 

 

"Fair enough," Alec chuckled.   

 

They were quiet for the rest of the ride, but it didn't feel as charged as it had before. Magnus didn't feel like punching him in the face anymore so he considered it a big improvement. 

 

When they pulled up to the gate, Magnus felt compelled to say something. 

 

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you back in the road, Alec."

 

"Magnus, you don't have to-"

 

Magnus cut him off with an insistent hand on his forearm.

 

"No, I do. I was incredibly rude and I can't stand the thought that you might think I'm always like that. I know it's not an excuse, but today has just been awful."

 

"I bet," Alec said sympathetically. 

 

"Yeah. Just imagine first period times ten. That's what today was. It felt like just one more bad thing after another. By the time you showed up, I was just about at my wit's end. I lashed out at you and I assumed things about you that I shouldn't have. That's my fault and I'm sorry."

 

"I understand, Magnus. We're good."

 

Both of their eyes dropped down to where Magnus' hand was still resting on Alec's arm. Magnus smiled sheepishly and withdrew despite a strange desire to maintain the contact for just a little longer. 

 

Alec met Magnus' eyes again and it was the first time all day that Magnus didn't feel like he was being judged. It was so nice.

 

"How about we start over?" Alec suggested. "We can just forget today ever happened."

 

"I would love that," Magnus said, relieved. 

 

"Here, I'll go first. Hi, I'm Alexander Lightwood. It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time ever."

 

Magnus grinned when Alec stuck out his hand. This was ridiculous and obviously it wouldn't erase the memory of the day, but it was a sweet gesture. 

 

"Alexander? Well, that's a very nice name. I'm Magnus Bane. It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time ever, too."

 

He grasped Alec's hand and shook it slowly. Alec's hand was big and soft and warm and Magnus found some comfort in the way it fit around his own. 

 

Far too soon, Alec drew his hand back.

 

"Well, I should probably go. I'm meeting up with some friends later and I need to get my homework done before I go," Alec explained.

 

"How studious," Magnus teased with a wink.

 

Maybe it was the light playing tricks on him, but Magnus swore he saw a blush tint Alec's cheeks. 

 

Alec didn't respond. Instead, he started rummaging through the middle console of his car.

 

"Looking for something?" Magnus asked.

 

"Yeah, an umbrella so you can stay dry in the rain."

 

Magnus peered out the window and, to his surprise, the rain has given way to a clear sky. 

 

"I don't think I'll be needing it, darling," Magnus said. 

 

Alec looked up and smiled at the blue sky. 

 

"Wow, that cleared up fast. Weird."

 

"Yeah, so weird," Magnus said awkwardly, but with the lightness in his chest it really wasn't weird at all. "Well, I'll let you go. Thank you for the ride, Alexander."

 

"Anytime," Alec answered as Magnus got out of the car. "I'll see you around, Magnus."

 

_ I hope so,  _ Magnus thought to himself.  _ I truly hope so.  _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning a bit more about Magnus' past + malec softness...

"I'm sorry, do you mind repeating that?" Simon sputtered.

 

"I drove Magnus Bane home today," Alec said. 

 

Izzy leaned forward in her chair, obviously intrigued. "Are you serious?"

 

Alec eyed his friends warily. Clary, Maia, Izzy, and Simon were all wearing similarly bewildered expressions and it made him feel uneasy. He scratched his neck self-consciously. 

 

"Yeah. His car broke down and he was stranded out in the rain so I drove him back to Fell Manor. What's the big deal?"

 

"What's the big deal?" Simon parroted back mockingly. "The big deal is that he's freaking weird, man."

 

Maia raised her eyebrows at him. "You're one to talk, Si. If anyone's weird, I don't think it's him."

 

Simon put a hand over his heart in faux offense. "Excuse me, I'll have you know that I may be weird, but it's in a quirky, nerdy kind of way. He's weird in a mysterious and low-key scary kind of way. It's completely different."

 

"You're wrong," Alec mumbled. 

 

"What was that, Alec?" Izzy asked. 

 

"I said Simon is wrong. He's not scary at all. He was actually kind of sweet when he wasn't yelling at me for almost hitting him with my car."

 

"You almost hit him with your car?" Maia gasped. 

 

Alec cringed. "Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about that."

 

"Okay," Clary cut in. "We won't talk about that, but we  _ will  _ talk about how you were positively drooling over him in English today."

 

Alec glared at her. Of course she wouldn't be able to let that go. 

 

"Alec's interested in him?" Izzy asked, her attention fully captured. She always had cared way too much about his love life and apparently this was no exception. 

 

"Oh, Iz, you should've seen him. Poor thing could hardly breathe after Magnus made eye contact with him for all of two seconds. Obviously, he's into him."

 

Everyone laughed and cooed at him. Sometimes he hated his friends.

 

"Alright, enough," Alec interjected. "I'm not into him. Can I recognize an attractive guy when I see him? Yeah. That's all it is though. We're just friends. Not even friends really. We're... acquaintances."

 

"For now," Izzy said airily, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. 

 

"What's going on, kids?"

 

Everyone turned their heads and saw Luke walking out of his office. They were all gathered at the library that afternoon. It was almost always deserted so it was the perfect place for them to meet up and just talk after school with some degree of privacy.

 

"Nothing," Alec said hastily. 

 

"It's not nothing," Maia said. "We were talking about how Alec has a new crush at school."

 

"Et tu, Maia?" Alec groaned. 

 

"A new crush?" Luke smiled playfully. "Who's the lucky guy?"

 

"Magnus Bane," Clary supplied. 

 

The smile instantly fell from Luke's face. He furrowed his brow and his mouth formed a tight line. Alec rarely saw this kind of rigidity in the normally lighthearted Luke that Alec had come to know. 

 

"Be careful with that one, Alec. That whole family is trouble. It's better to let them alone and stay out of their business."

 

"That's what I've been trying to say," Simon said. 

 

"Don't tell me you believe all that satanist crap too, Luke," Maia said hesitantly. 

 

"No, of course not," Luke replied. "I just know what they're like and I'm well aware of how messy their affairs can get. Alec doesn't need that this year when he should be focusing on his school work. Junior year is extremely important."

 

Alec pursed his lips. He couldn't understand the hostility that seemed laced through Luke's words. He was usually so friendly that this felt almost unnatural. What could he know that would make him so outwardly distrustful of Magnus' family? Could it really be so bad that Luke felt obligated to warn Alec to stay away from them? 

 

"Luke, you don't need to worry about it. There's nothing going on between Magnus and me. They're all just exaggerating."

 

Luke frowned at him for a minute before nodding. He gave them all a half-smile and returned to his office.

 

"Well, that was beyond strange," Maia said once the door had closed behind him.

 

"I know right," Clary agreed. "I've never seem him like that before. What do you think he was talking about?"

 

"I'm not sure," Izzy said, "but I'm sure Alec could find out from his new  _ acquaintance. _ "

 

"First of all," Alec started, "they way you're saying acquaintance makes it very clear you're interpreting whatever kind of relationship that Magnus and I have as something that it's not. Second of all, I am absolutely not going to snoop into his personal life for you."

 

"Well, I guess it will remain a mystery then," Izzy pouted. 

 

"I guess it will."

 

Everyone seemed to sense that Alec had had enough of that conversation and they moved on. No matter how much they loved to push his buttons and get a rise out of him, they always knew when to back off and give Alec his space. 

 

Right then was exactly the kind of moment when he needed that space. Magnus Bane had Alec all out of sorts and the constant pestering was only making things worse. Earlier in the car, Alec had felt something pass between Magnus and him. It felt like the sunrise on Greenbriar Hill— warm, breathtaking, hopeful. Alec thought he might be being overdramatic, but in the moment it felt like the only thing that mattered was Magnus' hand in his own. 

 

That feeling contrasted harshly with Luke's words of warning. Admittedly, Magnus was different from a lot of the people he knew, but surely he wasn't so different that Alec needed to be careful around him. Even if his family did have drama, what family didn't? What was so unique about their issues that Alec needed be afraid of even being friends with Magnus? 

 

Alec couldn't make these two ideas of Magnus fit together in his mind, but in the end he decided to make some kind of compromise. He wouldn't stop himself from being tentative friends with Magnus just because Luke said some vague words of warnings. They could still talk and get to know each other a little, but it wouldn't go much further than that. No matter how much Alec felt like there was a potential for a real friendship between them, he still trusted Luke like a father. In some cases he did know best and he seemed rather sure that Alec would only get hurt if he became too immersed in the inner workings of Fell Manor. Alec couldn't help but somewhat heed Luke's advice. 

 

After another hour of chatting with his friends, they all decided it was probably time to head out. The group walked out into the warm September air.

 

Clary and Isabelle got into the back of Alec's car, and he was about to get in as well when he noticed Simon and Maia were hanging back.

 

"Are you two coming?"

 

"Nah," Maia replied. "Simon and I are actually gonna go grab dinner."

 

"Yeah?" Alec asked, tilting his head.

 

For as long as he'd known Simon and Maia, they'd been hopelessly in love with one another. However, the issue was that neither of them had ever confessed that to the other. For years, they'd been hovering in a strange in-between stage that fell in the middle of just friends and dating. 

 

"Yeah," Simon said. "Just a dinner between buds, right?"

 

Alec saw them both flinch at the wording. He knew Simon was mentally cursing his idiotic mouth and Maia was adding it to her list of reasons why they could never be anything more than what they currently were. 

 

"Right. Buds," she affirmed with a strained chuckle.

 

"Okay," Alec said opening his car door. "You two have fun."

 

They nodded and headed down the street. Alec got into the car and started the drive to Clary's house. 

 

"When will those two finally get their shit together?" Izzy lamented.

 

"Give them some time, Iz. Not everyone can figure out who their soulmate is as fast as we did," Clary joked.

 

In his rear view mirror, Alec could see them share a quick kiss and exchange small smiles. They were so obviously in love with one another and he envied them. He doubted he'd ever find a relationship like theirs. 

 

Alec pushed down his jealousy and kept driving.  

 

.

 

A few hours after Alec Lightwood had almost hit him with a car, Magnus found himself sitting in an even less appealing situation. 

 

"Magnus, are you really going to give me the silent treatment all through dinner?" Ragnor sighed.  

 

Magnus shrugged his shoulders and sipped at his water. 

 

"Please just tell me why you're upset and then you can go back to sulking."

 

Magnus rolled his eyes.

 

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because you forced me to leave Catarina and New York to come live with you in some rundown, poor excuse of a town. Maybe it's because you're forcing me to go to a high school with kids who hate me for no reason when I easily could have just taught myself here. Maybe it's because I see you looking at me and I can tell you're thinking about how soon I'm going to go dark. Sorry if I don't really feel like talking to you right now."

 

Ragnor slumped a little in his seat and prodded his dumplings absently with his fork.

 

"First of all, you're not going to go dark, Magnus. Stop saying that. Second of all, you know I brought you here to help you keep that exact thing from happening. I'm the best person to train you to control your magic and tap into your light nature. Catarina knew that and that's why she proposed this whole thing to me in the first place."

 

"What's the point of the training though?" Magnus protested. "We both know that's not how it works. It doesn't matter how much you try to stop it or how much you teach me to harness my inner light or whatever. When my birthday rolls around, I'm going to to go dark whether you like it or not, Ragnor."

 

"Except that you're not."

 

"Why wouldn't I? My father went dark. Why wouldn't I turn out just like him?"

 

"Because the darkness was in his nature long before he was claimed. We all knew it was coming. You're not the same as him, Magnus. I know your nature and it's light."

 

Ragnor, Catarina, and the rest of his family were so certain of his nature, but he couldn't help but doubt it. Sometimes he swore he could feel the darkness festering behind his ribs. It churned and swayed like it was just waiting for the day it could fully manifest. 

 

"How can you be sure?" Magnus asked, his voice cracking slightly. 

 

Ragnor must have sensed his uncertainty because he stood from his chair opposite Magnus and moved to sit in the one next to him. He placed a reassuring hand on Magnus' shoulder.

 

"I just am. I've known you your whole life and I know your soul. It is too good to be claimed by the dark. You don't have anything to worry about, dear boy. Everything is going to be just fine."

 

Ragnor pulled Magnus forward into an embrace. Magnus closed his eyes and tried to believe him.

 

The topic of his claiming had been weighing on him for a while now. When a warlock turned seventeen, their magic was claimed by either the light or the dark based on their true nature. If they had a pure nature, a good nature, they were claimed by the light. If they had an evil nature, they succumbed to the dark. Being claimed for the dark almost always led to hurting the people you loved. You stopped caring about everyone who ever mattered to you and they became expendable if they stood in the way of your own selfish desires.  

 

There was nothing Magnus feared more than turning dark. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting Ragnor, Cat, or Raphael. They had taken him in when he'd had nowhere else to go and he was eternally grateful for that. It made him sick to think that he might one day repay their generosity with pain. 

 

"I hope you're right, Ragnor," Magnus whispered. 

 

.

 

Magnus barely slept at all that night. Every time he closed his eyes all he could think about was his claiming. 

 

111 days. 111 days until his life would be changed forever. 111 days until he inevitably went somewhere he couldn't come back from. 

  
  


When he actually did manage to sleep, he was plagued with the familiar erratic flashes of simply a dark silhouette against strikes of lightning. He woke up frequently throughout the night with a pounding heart and sweaty palms. 

 

By the time morning rolled around, Magnus felt like he was dying. He could barely get out of bed and his limbs were heavy with exhaustion.  He haphazardly threw on a pair of black jeans and a dark, floral-patterned t-shirt. Magnus didn't even have the energy to apply his makeup by hand, instead magicking it on with a snap of his fingers. 

 

"Magnus, come on!" Ragnor yelled from down the hall. "You're gonna be late for school!"

 

"Would that really be so terrible?" Magnus grumbled, but he rushed downstairs anyway. 

 

He poured some coffee into a travel mug before heading out the door and getting into his repaired car. He drove to school and a sense of dread settled in his gut, but he pushed it away.

 

As he made his way through the halls, Magnus did his best to keep his head held high. He glared at anyone who so much as glanced at him. Unlike yesterday, Magnus wasn't going to let these people get to him. He'd endured much worse than this and he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing his armor crack. 

 

Magnus walked into English and his cool intensity faltered. 

 

Alec was sitting right where he had yesterday and angled so he could talk to a redheaded girl who Magnus thought was named Clary. She was gesturing animatedly with her hands and laughing. Alec was watching her with amusement and fondness in his eyes. Magnus felt his happiness dip slightly when he realized that they were probably together. Of course a boy as handsome as him was taken. Magnus reminded himself that even if Alec had a girlfriend, they could still be friends. This pattering of his heart could just be platonic admiration, right?

 

Magnus eyed his seat from yesterday with disdain. It was far too close to Jonathan and Magnus would rather avoid him as much as possible. Thankfully, there was another seat open. A seat right behind Alec. 

 

Without giving himself a moment to second-guess his decision, Magnus walked right up to Alec. 

 

"Is this seat taken, pretty boy?"

 

Alec turned around in his chair to look up at Magnus. Magnus watched as his eyes darted all over Magnus before finally settling to meet his gaze.

 

"Um, I uh- I mean-" Alec stuttered. Magnus smirked to hide just how cute he found Alec in that moment. 

 

"What Alec is failing to say is that it's all yours," Clary interjected. 

 

"Wonderful," Magnus sighed as he sat down in the uncomfortable chair. 

 

"It  _ is  _ wonderful," Clary said cryptically. "Wouldn't you agree, Alec?"

 

"Yeah," Alec said absently, still locked onto Magnus' face.

 

Oh god, Magnus was screwed if Alec was going to keep looking at him like that. He felt like he might just combust under that stare, the one that Magnus knew he was reading too much into. Magnus was simply a lot to take in with his makeup and his extravagant clothes and Alec was probably still adjusting to seeing someone like him. It didn't mean anything.

 

Clary elbowed him gently and Alec blinked out of his little trance. He tore his eyes away from Magnus.

 

"So did you get your car fixed?" Alec asked abruptly, like he had just said the first thing that came to mind. 

 

"I did," Magnus replied. "Ragnor is quite handy and he repaired it for me."

 

That wasn't exactly true. Ragnor didn't have a mechanical bone in his body, but he did have quite a few spells up his sleeve that took care of the car's busted engine like it was nothing.       

 

"Good," Alec said. "That's good."

 

Alec seemed like he'd already run out of things to say so Clary spoke up. 

 

"How was your first day, Magnus?" she asked brightly. 

 

"Abysmal, to be quite honest, my dear. Still, I did meet Alexander so it wasn't all bad."

 

A pink flush crept up Alec's neck and Magnus groaned inwardly. Why did everything about this boy have to be so fucking adorable?

 

Clary quirked an eyebrow. "Alexander? He doesn't let anyone call him that."

 

"Really? Not even his girlfriend?"

 

Alec frowned and Magnus tried to figure out what he'd said to make him upset. 

 

"My what?" Alec questioned with a furrowed brow.

 

"Your girlfriend? Isn't Clary your-" Magnus tried to get out.

 

"Oh hell no," Clary interrupted, disgust tainting her dainty features. 

 

Alec seemed to chuckle at the absurdity of what Magnus had been getting at. He seemed to relax a little more with every short huff of laughter. 

 

"Never in a million years," Alec assured Magnus. 

 

He glanced at Clary, who was apparently not his girlfriend, and they appeared  to have a conversation with just their eyes. It ended with Clary shrugging and gesturing airily. 

 

"Go ahead," she said. "I trust him not to tell anyone."

 

Alec bit his lip before gesturing Magnus to lean in a little. It was weird, but Magnus couldn't help but be intrigued. He rested his elbows on his desk and tilted his head forward. Alec came close enough that Magnus could feel Alec's breath when he whispered softly into Magnus' ear. 

 

"Clary is a raging lesbian and I'm so incredibly gay."

 

Magnus couldn't deny that he was absolutely thrilled. Not only was Alec single, but both he and Clary were gay. It made Magnus feel a bit more at ease to know that there were people here who wouldn't judge him for that part of his identity. Magnus had never been afraid to admit he was bi, but it was never easy to have people believe there was something wrong with him. Having Clary and Alec around made Magnus feel a little less alone. 

 

"Well, this is an unexpected but delightful turn of events," Magnus grinned.  

 

Alec smiled back at him. "Tell me about it."

 

Clary glanced back and forth between the two of them and her eyes glimmered with a mischief that Magnus didn't bother trying to decipher. All Magnus could think about was the spark of joy in his chest. He knew he shouldn't get attached to anyone, but he was already smitten beyond comprehension. Obviously, there was nothing serious between them and they hardly knew each other, but Magnus' heart was leaping with the possibility of maybe. 

 

Mrs. Penhallow entered, but Magnus barely noticed. 

 

"I never would've guessed that about you. I bet there's quite a few more surprising things to learn about you."

 

Alec bit his lip again and Magnus found it extremely difficult to not be distracted by that. 

 

"You'll have to stick around and see for yourself."

 

"I suppo-" Magnus started. 

 

"Mr. Bane and Mr. Lightwood, did either of you have something to share with the class?"

 

They both turned to see Mrs. Penhallow giving them a death glare. Apparently she was ready to start class.

 

"No, ma'am," Alec said, his voice thick with that charm only boys who grew up in the South knew how to harness. "We're very sorry. Right, Magnus?"

 

"Right. So sorry, Mrs. Penhallow," Magnus agreed heartily. 

 

She scrutinized them for a minute before sighing and turning away to write something on the board. 

 

Alec shot Magnus a wink over his shoulder before returning to face the front of the classroom. Magnus had to bite his tongue to keep from giggling. 

 

Yeah, he was so screwed. 

 

.

 

So maybe Alec had thrown out his compromise the instant that Magnus called him 'pretty boy'. He was only a mere man and Magnus was so beautiful. Especially because of that t-shirt that hugged Magnus' biceps _deliciously,_ Alec's brain and all his logic capabilities had ceased to function. Alec didn't have much of a choice but to melt into a puddle at his feet. 

 

Not only was he beautiful, Magnus was hilarious and almost frighteningly smart. Whenever Jonathan or one of his friends said something stupid, Magnus would make little comments under his breath that had Alec's shoulders shaking in repressed laughter. When they broke into small groups to talk about  _ The Scarlett Letter,  _ their summer reading book, Magnus made points that Alec hadn't even thought of and completely blew him away. Alec considered himself a book nerd and a fairly good reader, but Magnus' mind just had a way of making these gorgeous connections that left Alec breathless. 

 

Alec couldn't help but feel sad when the bell rang. He didn't want to wait another 24 hours to see Magnus again.

 

As they packed up their bags, Alec couldn't refrain from speaking up. 

 

"Magnus?"

 

"Hm?"

 

Alec shifted nervously from one foot to another. 

 

"How would you feel about sitting with my friends and me at lunch?"

 

Magnus looked up from his things, a curious tilt to his head.

 

"You want me to sit with you?" Magnus repeated slowly.

 

Alec scratched at the back of his neck. God, he was making a fool out of himself. 

 

"Well, uh, yeah. I figured you might like to meet a few more people. I know that you've had trouble making friends and we're all really nice so I thought it might help. You totally don't have to if you don't want to. I would 100 percent understand and-"

 

Magnus cut off Alec's panicked gibbering by placing a finger in front of Alec's lips. It hovered just millimeters from Alec's mouth. Alec felt his heart stop beating as he let his gaze fall down to the perfectly painted finger that was adorned with a silver ring. When Magnus had effectively silenced him, he drew it away. Alec followed its path through the air before looking back to Magnus' eyes. 

 

"I would love to, Alexander," Magnus said, a genuine smile gracing his features. 

 

"Yeah?" Alec breathed. 

 

"Of course," Magnus assured. "If the rest of your friends are as lovely as Clary, I'd be happy to meet them."

 

Clary might've smiled at Magnus, but Alec couldn't be bothered to check when he was still reeling from Magnus getting so close to him. It really was nothing, but Alec was filled with a sense of urgency that he couldn't quite name. 

 

"Great," Alec said. 

 

Magnus' response was a warm look and a light brush of fingers against Alec's arm as he began to walk past him.

 

"See you soon, darling," Magnus murmured before sauntering out of the classroom. 

 

Alec admired his retreating figure with an admittedly lovesick sigh. 

 

"Oh, Alec," Clary chuckled. "You really couldn't be more obvious."

 

"Don't start, Fray," Alec warned, gathering up his books. 

 

She was right though. Alec knew that every single hope, every single emotion, every single desire had been plain to see. He couldn't hide just how enthralled he was with Magnus Bane. Part of him didn't want to hide it. 

 

.

 

Lunch couldn't come fast enough. Magnus couldn't wait to see Alec again even though it had only been four hours since they'd last talked. He recognized how pathetic that was, but Alec was his only haven in Gatlin High, the only person who Magnus felt safe around. Magnus had never taken to another person so quickly before, but he couldn't make himself take a step back when he felt high on every word that fell from Alec's lips. 

 

Entering the cafeteria ignited a spark of anxiety in his chest. Magnus looked around and all he saw was a sea of people he didn't know and who probably hated his guts without even speaking to him before forming that opinion. He kept his mouth in a firm line because god knows he wasn't going to let them see his fear; they would only use it against him. 

 

When he felt a hand on his elbow, he nearly jumped out of his skin. But, when Magnus looked to see who it was, his heart raced for a different reason.  

 

"Jumpy much?" Alec smirked. From this close, Magnus found it extremely easy to appreciate the green and amber hues in Alec's eyes and the hints of stubble on his chin. 

 

Magnus only answered that with a teasing glare before saying, "So, where are these friends of yours?"

 

"Our table is in the back. Come on" Alec said, keeping his hand lightly on Magnus' arm to lead him. Magnus couldn't complain about that little gesture. 

 

They approached a round table with one dorky-looking guy, two girls Magnus didn't know, and Clary. 

 

"Hey, Magnus," Clary greeted. He smiled back at her with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. 

 

"Hello, biscuit."

 

She crinkled her nose delightedly at the pet name. 

 

"Here," Alec said as he motioned for Magnus to sit down in an empty chair. He did and then Alec sat in the one right next to him. 

 

Magnus turned when the girl next to him tapped him on the shoulder. She stuck out a confident hand. 

 

"Nice to meet you, Magnus. I'm Isabelle Lightwood, Alec's sister."

 

Looking at her, Magnus could see the resemblance. They both had the same dark hair and rich colored eyes. 

 

Magnus reached for her hand and she shook with a deceptively strong grip. 

 

"Lovely to meet you, Isabelle."

 

She smiled at him warmly before turning to her friends. 

 

"Aren't the two of you going to introduce yourselves?" she chided jokingly.

 

The curly-haired girl leveled her with an unimpressed look before returning her gaze to Magnus. 

 

"Hi, I'm Maia," she said and then pointed to the boy beside her, "and this idiot is Simon."

 

"Hey, I take offense at that," Simon protested. 

 

"Si, I once saw you hold a fifteen minute conversation with a bird at the park," Maia countered.

 

"First of all, her name was Margaret and second of all, she was a wonderful conversationalist which you would know if you'd been able to get off your high horse for three seconds and talk to her. I'll have you know that Margaret made some sick points on the influence of the bluejay on modern music theory."

 

Magnus snorted despite himself. This boy was ridiculous. 

 

Simon seemed wary of him, but a flicker of a smile passed across his lips anyway. Magnus took that as a good sign.

 

"It was a  _ bird,"  _ Alec said. "You can make all that shit up but it doesn't change the fact that you're the weirdo who talked to a random bird for fifteen minutes."

 

"Her name is Margaret and I'm sure she would appreciated if you used it, Alexander," Magnus scoffed with mock indignation. 

 

Alec pursed his lips to hold back a laugh and Magnus just stared at him in silent challenge. After a few seconds, Alec broke into a fit of giggles. Magnus drank in that infectious sound and joined him. Magnus was vaguely aware of the rest of the table laughing along with them. 

 

They all laughed for another minute before everyone settled back into a more relaxed mood. Simon and Maia talked about some comic book that Magnus had never heard of. Clary and Isabelle were chatting about their classes; while their conversation was normal enough, Magnus noticed the discreet way Isabelle was holding Clary's hand in her lap under the table and the captivated shine in Clary's eyes. They were quite clearly in love with one another. 

 

Magnus and Alec were the only ones not talking, but Magnus didn't feel uncomfortable. Alec would offer him a wink or a grin every now and then and it was enough, enough to keep him certain that he was welcome here. He wasn't intruding or a burden or a charity case. He was wanted. 

 

Towards the end of lunch, Isabelle turned to Magnus and Alec. 

 

"Have either of you had Mr. Dieudonné for history yet?"

 

"No, why?" Magnus asked. Alec also shook his head.

 

"Well, then I'll be the first to inform you that this year everyone will be required to partake in the reenactment."

 

Alec groaned and dropped his head defeatedly into his hands.

 

"Please tell me you're kidding, Iz."

 

"Unfortunately not, big brother."

 

Magnus looked confusedly between the siblings. "What reenactment?"

 

Alec peeked out at him from behind his fingers. 

 

"Gatlin was home to a very minor battle during the Civil War. Since it's the only interesting thing to ever happen here, the town holds an annual reenactment of the fight to, and I quote, 'honor Gatlin's rich and exciting history.'"

 

"That's so... quaint," Magnus said.

 

"Yeah.  _ Quaint, _ " Alec chuckled. "I'm sure it's really different from where you used to live. Wait, where  _ did  _ you used to live?"

 

Alec picked his head up at the realization that he had no idea where Magnus was from. 

 

"New York City. Brooklyn, to be precise. And, yes, Gatlin is quite the culture shock."

 

"New York City?" Isabelle marveled. "What's it like? We've never been."

 

"Oh, it's the most alive city in the world. It's impossible to be bored when it feels like everything you could ever experience is right at your fingertips. It's bright and loud and exhilarating. But even with all of that, it's got a little personal bubble for everyone, a little place you can shape however you want into something that feels entirely yours. It's h-"

 

Magnus cut off as he thought of what he'd left behind. Catarina. Raphael. Their studio apartment on Willow Street. Late night coffee during Cat's break at the hospital. Autumn walks across the Brooklyn Bridge. The Vietnamese restaurant down the block and takeout containers on the kitchen counter. 

 

Magnus swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat. 

 

"It's home."

 

Warm fingers landed against the back of his hand and Magnus raised his eyes to see Alec staring at him intently. 

 

"You must miss it," he said softly. 

 

"Desperately," Magnus admitted. 

 

"I'm sorry."

 

And he meant it. Magnus could tell.  For a moment, Magnus forgot about everything except Alec and his apologetic eyes. This boy seemed to have a never-ending well of compassion and he was more than willing to give it all to Magnus, a person he barely knew. 

 

Isabelle cleared her throat awkwardly and Magus was brought back to the present. Alec retracted his hand and glanced away, embarrassed. 

 

They were both saved by the school bell from having to come up with some strained sort of small talk to follow a moment that felt a little too intimate for a pair of strangers. They all hurried to clean up their food and Alec's friends and sister said goodbye before heading to their next period class. 

 

Magnus and Alec stayed behind, lingering as long as they could. 

 

"Thank you for inviting me to sit with you, Alexander. I'm really glad you did."

 

Alec grinned. "I'm glad too."

 

Magnus put his hand behind his back and magicked up a card with his name and phone number. He mimed pulling it out of his pocket so Alec wouldn't but suspicious.  

 

"Here's my number. Just in case you wanna talk before tomorrow," Magnus said, handing him the card. 

 

Alec chuckled. "Do you always keep business cards on hand?"

 

Magnus toyed with the cuff on his ear. 

 

"Obviously. It's always good to have them with you. You never know when you'll meet someone important."

 

Alec stepped forward slightly, the air between them charged. 

 

"And I'm important?"

 

"I think so."

 

Alec blushed a little. He opened his mouth to respond, but the bell rang again before he could.

 

"Shit," he cursed. He licked his lips before smiling at Magnus. "I gotta go."

 

"Of course," Magnus said. 

 

Alec waved the small card in the air as he backed away towards the cafeteria doors. 

 

"I'm definitely gonna use this later."

 

Magnus felt a blush warm his own cheeks. 

 

"You'd better."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the rest. It was originally longer, but I split it into two chapters for for the sake of pacing. Chapter 4 is about halfway done and it should be up relatively soon. I'll try not to make it another two months lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and the start of some angst :)

Three weeks into the school year, Magnus had a revelation. 

 

He actually enjoyed going to school these days. He liked feeling normal, like the other kids at Gatlin High. Just like them, he had trouble rolling out of bed in the morning and he always waited until way too late at night to do his homework. He worried about his History test and groaned to Alec about how Mr. Dieudonné had a personal vendetta against him. His brain was fried from the sheer volume of caffeine he ingested on a daily basis. His life was grueling and exhausting and repetitive, but it was  _ normal.  _

 

It was a relief to think about something other than his quickly approaching birthday. A weight was lifted off his chest with every day that he avoided thinking of his fate. He chose to ignore all of it in favor of grabbing coffee with Alec and his friends and drowning himself in his studies. It was much easier to rave with Isabelle and Maia about the nature documentary they'd seen in class or to tease Simon over lunch than to ruminate on the outcome of his dreaded birthday. 

 

Magnus never would have imagined that he'd actually like his life in Gatlin. Sure, he missed Brooklyn and his other family members everyday, but there were things here that Magnus was starting to think were maybe worth staying for. Maybe one of those things was a boy with dark hair and pretty eyes. 

 

Magnus rolled out of bed and started getting ready. He turned on some music, an indie rock band that Alec had recommended. He couldn't deny the warm feeling in his chest when he thought about Alec swaying softly to the beat just as Magnus was that morning. With perfect clarity, Magnus could picture the barely-there smile on those beautiful lips and the way he'd nod and dance along as he went about his business. 

 

From there, Magnus' mind wandered to what if Alec was dancing to the music with him. He could feel those strong yet tentative fingers on his hips and warm breath against his cheek; Magnus bit his lip and breathed deeply as he lost himself to the idea of being that close to Alec, of sharing air and space and heartbeats. 

 

He was far too infatuated, he knew that. Alec was mortal and he could never know what Magnus really was. He was a risk that Magnus knew he probably shouldn't take, but he couldn't help it. He'd never felt like this about someone before. Magnus had never craved another person's company like he craved Alec's. He wanted to be around him all time. He wanted to get to know him outside of school and a few weekend group hangouts. They'd only known each other for a short time, but Magnus saw deeper levels of kindness and strength in Alec everyday. Every time Alec so much as smiled at him, Magnus felt lighter, like every ounce of worry and stress had been replaced with sunshine. 

 

Magnus was drawn from his daydream with the chirp of his cellphone. He rolled his eyes at the brusque text.

 

_ Raphael: Call me, Bane _

 

Magnus pressed the call button and Raphael picked up after two rings. 

 

"Raphael, how lovely to hear from you," Magnus said as he applied lip gloss. 

 

_ "Hello, Magnus. How's the middle of nowhere treating you?" _

 

Magnus smirked. 

 

"Oh, it has its perks, if you don't let the rampant racism and homophobia get you down."

 

Raphael chuckled on the other end of the line though it sounded slightly strained. They had grown up together, brothers in every way except biology, and Magnus could sense when he was troubled. 

 

_ "I'm glad you've settled in. I know you didn't want to go, but trust me when I say it's for the best that you remain there with Ragnor for now." _

 

Magnus furrowed his brow. 

 

"Raph," Magnus said cautiously, "is something wrong?"

 

He heard Raphael sigh resignedly. 

 

_ "Magnus, you might want to sit down,"  _ Raphael suggested.

 

"I assure you I can handle whatever it is you're about to say. Please, tell me what's going on?"

 

_ "Your father is back." _

 

Magnus froze, gasping in shock. No one had heard from Asmodeus since he'd abandoned a five-year old Magnus on Catarina's doorstep all those years ago. Everyone had suspected he was dead; he definitely had enough enemies that wanted nothing more than his blood on their hands. 

 

"He can't be," Magnus breathed. 

 

_ "I'm sorry, amigo, but he is. There have been whispers of his return for about two weeks now, but Cat and I didn't want to believe it until we had proof. Well, we got it last night. He showed up at Cat's place." _

 

Magnus felt fury and fear burst in his heart. He clenched his fist and the ground shook violently beneath his feet. Magnus didn't want that filth anywhere near the closest thing to a mother he'd ever had. 

 

"He what?" Magnus growled, the lights flickering as his fingers sparked red. 

 

_ "He came to the apartment last night. He demanded to know where you are. He knows your claiming is soon and he wants you on his team. You're on track to be the most powerful warlock of your generation, Magnus. He wants to be there if you go dark and he wants you on his side. He warned Cat that there would be consequences if she didn't tell him where you are." _

 

Magnus turned when his door slammed open. Ragnor rushed in, concern plain on his features. 

 

"Magnus! What's going on? Are you alright?"

 

"Asmodeus is back."

 

Ragnor sucked in a breath through his teeth. 

 

"I know," he responded grimly. "Catarina called me last night."

 

"And you didn't tell me?" Magnus yelled. His bedside lamp flared brightly. 

 

"Asmodeus won't cause any harm to you. You're safe here in the Manor."

 

"I still deserved to know," Magnus hissed before putting the phone back to his ear. "Raphael, thank you for telling me. I'll call you later."

 

_ "Magnus, wait-"  _

 

Magnus hung up and started gathering up his things for school. 

 

Ragnor grabbed his arm. "Where do you think you're going? Now that we know Asmodeus is coming, you can't go out there. I can only protect you within the wards."

 

"What makes you think you have any right to tell me what to do when you lied to me?"

 

"I didn't lie to you. I was going to tell you soon. Please, just stay here where it's safe. I don't want you out in town where he can get to you."

 

"Let me go," Magnus grunted. 

 

Magic crackled along his skin. Ragnor yelped and withdrew. 

 

Magnus pushed past him and stalked to his car. 

 

This couldn't be happening. Magnus hadn't even gone dark yet, but he was already putting his loved ones in danger. Asmodeus was ruthless and willing to destroy anyone in the way of what he wanted. He would kill Ragnor, Raphael, and Cat in an instant if it meant that he could have Magnus. Magnus' mere presence was a threat to those around him. The one thing he prayed every night to avoid, hurting his family, was happening anyway. 

 

And once he went dark, they would only be more in danger. It didn't matter who he was now, once that change happened, Magnus wouldn't even care. He'd feel nothing at the sight of their suffering. He would feel none of the guilt and gut-twisting fear that currently wracked his frame. Magnus would probably join his father in his mission of spreading eternal pain and torment. In just a few months time, Magnus could be nothing more than a walking hurricane, intent on ravaging the world and tearing innocent people apart. 

 

Despite Ragnor's insistence that Magnus would turn to the path of the light, Magnus couldn't help but see Asmodeus' appearance as a menacing omen. That man was obsessed with power and he could sense the immense dark forces growing within his son. 

 

If Asmodeus was looking for Magnus, then Magnus knew  _ exactly _ what was going to happen at his claiming. 

 

.

 

"So when are you gonna ask Magnus out?"

 

"And why would I ask him out?" Alec asked, feigning ignorance as he flipped through his notes from the previous day with his extra time while Mrs. Penhallow went to the office to make extra copies of a worksheet. 

 

"Because you love him and you wanna have his babies," Clary teased. 

 

"I do not love him," Alec muttered. "We're still getting to know one another." 

 

She placed a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were sympathetic and pleading, a drastic shift from her original tone. 

 

"But you like him more than I've ever seen you like anyone. You're allowed to want him, Alec. You don't have to hold yourself back. He likes you too. It's okay to take a chance on him."

 

He wanted to believe her. Clary was right. Alec wanted Magnus so badly. He wanted his kiss and his hands and his laugh. He wanted to be so close to Magnus that he didn't know where he ended and where Magnus began. Alec was desperate to be more than just friends with Magnus because he was certain they could be something wonderful. He knew it when he felt the electricity in his veins as Magnus' hand brushed his and when Magnus' eyes would linger on Alec's face for a second longer than necessary. Alec may not know everything about Magnus, but he knew this. 

 

Alec didn't want to risk losing him in the process though. What if it was all in Alec's head? What if Magnus pulled away when he found out about Alec's feelings for him? No, Alec would rather they stay friends and keep Magnus in his life. 

 

Clary opened her mouth to keep going, but Alec nudged her when Magnus entered. 

 

At first, Alec started to smile because seeing Magnus always brightened his day, but it quickly fell from his face. Something was wrong. Magnus' hands were shaking and he had them squeezed into fists to try and hide it. He seemed consumed by something and his expression was a rigid mask. His shoulders were tight and didn't even look at Alec as he sat robotically in his seat. 

 

Clary looked over at Alec, the question clear in her eyes. She tilted her head meaningfully and Alec knew she wanted him to talk to Magnus. He would've done it with or without her.

 

Alec turned around. Magnus was staring at his desk, deep in thought. 

 

Alec reached out and tapped the wood surface to catch Magnus' attention. 

 

"Hey, Magnus, are you alright?"

 

Magnus looked up. Alec could see a complex swirl of emotions in that lovely face, but the dominant one was panic. Magnus tried to school his features but Alec could see through it. 

 

"Yes, Alexander, I'm fine." His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it that worried Alec. 

 

"Are you sure? You seem pretty shaken up."

 

"I said I'm fine," Magnus snapped. "Drop it, Alec."

 

Hurt pricked in Alec's chest. Magnus hadn't used that tone with him since their first car ride together. It was bitter and defensive. 

 

Alec frowned, but he wasn't going to push. 

 

"Okay. I'll drop it. Sorry."

 

Alec faced the front of the classroom, the bite of Magnus' scorn still stinging on his skin. He tried not to take it personally. Magnus was clearly dealing with something and Alec knew that logically his anger probably wasn't really directed at Alec, but that didn't stop the pang of heartache he felt. 

 

A minute later, Jonathan walked in and Alec noticed the exact moment he honed in on Magnus' vulnerability. The guy was like a bloodhound for other people's weakness. He preyed on people when they were at their lowest and twisted it against them. Usually, Magnus was well-equipped to deal with Jonathan's cruelty and could ignore it until he gave up, but he was already upset and Jonathan knew precisely how to dole out the sharpest insults. 

 

"How's it going, Fell? You chat with the Devil yet today?" he jeered. 

 

Magnus startled out of his thoughts at being addressed. 

 

"Don't you ever get tired of using the same old worn-out lines with me?" Magnus asked. 

 

"Don't  _ you _ realize what a threat you are to this community? You being here corrupts the whole town with sin."

 

Magnus' eyes went wide for a second. Clearly, that had struck a nerve with him. He didn't reply, instead choosing to stare intently back down at his fists clenched white. 

 

Alec stood in between the two. He couldn't stand by and let him spit such venom at Magnus. 

 

"That's enough. You don't get to talk to him like that," Alec said fiercely. 

 

"I'd be careful with that satanist friend of yours, Lightwood. He's gonna tear this town apart and you'll be the first to go when he does."

 

Anger clouded Alec's judgement. What right did this guy have to speak about Magnus, a person who didn't have a malicious bone in his body?   

 

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Morgenstern. Move before I  _ make  _ you move."

 

"Alec," Clary warned, but he didn't back down. Alec wasn't going to let anyone speak to Magnus with such hateful words that he'd done nothing to deserve. 

 

"As if I'm scared of you," Jonathan sneered. "If I'm afraid of anyone, it's him. I'm afraid of the damnation he's going to bring upon Gatlin. He will be our ruin."

 

Alec broke his staring match with Jonathan to check on Magnus. His hands were pressed to his mouth and he was breathing hard. Magnus was so clearly distraught and it made Alec want to just hold him and tell him it would all be alright. He didn't know what Magnus was thinking, but Alec knew that Jonathan was just sending him down into a bigger spiral. 

 

"You're delusional. Magnus would never hurt anybody. He's never done anything to anyone."

 

"Maybe not yet, but he will. My father predicts only evil comes with the Fell family. Gatlin can survive one tainted soul, but two is too many. He says there is an unholy wave of darkness riding on Magnus' coattails. If a man of God warns against him, then he must be a true danger to us all."

 

Suddenly, the air felt alive with energy. A reverberating crack resounded and Alec whipped his head toward the sound. He saw the large glass window splinter just a second before the shards came flying into the classroom.

 

Alec dove in front of Magnus to shield him and a collective shriek erupted from the students. Alec felt the debris hit his back and a few bits of glass scraped his neck. 

 

When the final shards reached the ground, Alec pulled back and looked down at Magnus. He looked horrified, jaw hanging open and face gone pale. 

 

Alec placed his hands on Magnus' shoulders, holding his shaking body. 

 

"Magnus, are you hurt?"

 

Magnus's eyes darted around the room and he didn't acknowledge Alec. Alec held him tighter to make him focus.

 

"Hey, listen to me. Please look at me. Are you hurt? Did any of the glass get to you?"

 

"No, I- I- no uh... I'm okay, Alexander," he sputtered out. 

 

"Good," Alec breathed, relieved. "What the hell was that?"

 

"I d-don't-" Magnus tried to get out, but he was interrupted.

 

"It was you, wasn't it?" Jonathan cried. Alec turned his attention to Jonathan and saw a jagged slash down his cheek and broken glass in his hair.

 

"What the fuck are you on about?" Alec asked.

 

Jonathan pointed at Magnus with an accusatory finger. 

 

"He did this! I told you he was dangerous and look! He tried to kill us!"

 

"No, I didn't-" Magnus started but he broke off, face contorted with disbelief. 

 

This was ridiculous. There was no way Magnus had anything to do with whatever had just happened. He was just a man. He was nowhere near the window. There was no way he could have broken it, especially not in the bizarre way it shattered. 

 

"Hey! What happened in here?" a female voice bellowed. Mrs. Penhallow was standing in the doorway, finally returning from the office. 

 

Before Alec could speak up, Jonathan beat him to it.

 

"It was Magnus! He tried to murder us all with his satanic curses!"

 

"That's absurd," Alec fired back. "Mrs. Penhallow, Magnus has been sitting there the whole time. He couldn't have done this. This was some freak accident, not a satanic curse!"

 

"I have to go," Magnus suddenly said, standing up. 

 

"Hold on for one second, young man," Mrs. Penhallow protested, but Magnus ran past her out the door. 

 

Alec knew he couldn't just let Magnus leave in that state. He turned to Clary. She had a few cuts on her face and arms, but she seemed mostly unharmed. 

 

"Are you okay?" Alec asked. 

 

"Yes, go. Make sure he's alright," she said.

 

Alec nodded and bolted out the door, Mrs. Penhallow's frustrated "Mr. Lightwood!" echoing into the hallway.  

 

Alec ran through the halls for a minute before spotting Magnus leaning against a wall, eyes closed and torso heaving with every pant. 

 

"Magnus!" he called as he approached. 

 

Magnus opened his eyes and Alec was shocked to find him holding back tears. 

 

"You shouldn't be near me, Alexander. Just leave me alone," Magnus groaned.

 

"You didn't do anything wrong. Just talk to me and we can figure it out," Alec implored. Magnus shook his head. 

 

"No, you wouldn't understand. Jonathan is right. I'm bad for you, for this town. Save yourself and stay away from me."

 

Alec tried to reach out for his hands but Magnus shrank away and Alec backed off.

 

Magnus stared at him for a few moments before his composure started to crack. 

 

"I have to go," Magnus said again and escaped out a nearby exit. 

 

He went so fast that all Alec could do was helplessly watch him go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments below! If you liked it, leave a kudos and subscribe :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, two things:
> 
> 1)Magnus' birthday has been changed to better fit with the plot of the story
> 
> 2) There is a new pov in this chapter. This will happen periodically through out the fic just because there are some things I want y'all to know but must happen outside of Magnus and Alec's perspectives. 
> 
> That's all and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Things start to come together and progress ensues...

"Magnus!" Ragnor shouted. He knocked harder on the door. Magnus didn't answer and just continued his anxious pacing. 

 

"Do you want to tell me why I got a phone call from the school about a broken window?"

 

Magnus cringed and stayed quiet. He'd ruined everything. He'd lashed out and exposed his powers to the whole class. Now Magnus would have to move again and he'd be without Cat and Ragnor and Raphael and Alec and-

 

"Magnus, open the goddamn door!"

 

Magnus snapped his fingers and the door flew open.

 

Ragnor huffed and stepped into the bedroom. 

 

"Thank you. Now, if you'd be so kind, would you mind telling me why I've been informed that you're suspended from school until further notice?"

 

"I lost it, Ragnor. I didn't mean to, but the things he said to me..." Magnus couldn't finish as the words rang in his head.  _ Unholy. Darkness. Evil.  _

 

"Who?" Ragnor pushed. 

 

Magnus shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I should have held it together."

 

Ragnor rubbed his face with his palm. In that moment, he looked older and more tired than Magnus had ever seen him. 

 

"It's not your fault, but it can't happen again. The more you use your magic outside of the wards, the easier it'll be for your father to find you. Outbursts like today release too much energy and he can use that to track you. Magnus, you can't go back to that school. Me sending you there in the first place was a mistake. We can't risk him picking up on your magic and attending Gatlin High will only make your emotions run higher."

 

Magnus gaped at him. 

 

"You can't be serious! Sure, I hate it sometimes and most of the people are awful, but I actually have a life now. I'm making friends. I'm enjoying my classes. Please, don't keep me away from the only sane thing in my world right now."

 

"It's too precarious, Magnus. Entanglements with the mortals are messy and you'll only end up hurt. If you stay there, you'll only explode again and endanger yourself. I think today makes it perfectly clear why you need to remain here at the Manor until Asmodeus is taken care of. My decision is final."

 

Ragnor nodded firmly as if to solidify his choice and left the room. 

 

Magnus collapsed onto his bed. 

 

He couldn't believe that it was just this morning that he'd been thinking about how well things were going in Gatlin. Now, all he could think about was how it was all falling apart. 

 

.

 

Alec let the car roll to a stop in front of the gates.

 

He hadn't been back to Fell Manor since the beginning of the year, and even then he hadn't gone beyond this point. The air of mystery around the place made it equally frightening and exhilarating. Alec had discovered every single inch of this town (not like it was hard) except for this grand old house. He had no idea what to expect, good or bad. 

 

Alec started walking up the unpaved path to the house, fingers gripping the locket from Greenbriar Hill in his pocket. It had been an impulse decision to bring it, but Alec figured that Magnus needed some cheering up and a gift was generally a good way to improve a person's mood. He wasn't sure if it was exactly Magnus' style, but hopefully Magnus would appreciate the sentiment. 

 

As the house grew nearer, Alec couldn't help but stare in awe. It was at least three times larger than Alec's more modern home. There was a huge porch and tons of windows. It was surrounded by towering willow trees. The house was a little run-down, but it's impressive size and aesthetic were enough to make Alec stop in his tracks for a moment. 

 

Alec squinted and he could make out a person sitting on the front steps. After a few more strides down the path, Alec could make out their face. 

 

_ Magnus.  _

 

He quickened his steps until there were only a few yards between them. Magnus hadn't even noticed him yet, staring obliviously at the horizon. His chin was resting in his hands and his hair was mussed like he'd been running his fingers through it. Magnus seemed calmer than before, but there was a forlorn quality to his expression that hadn't been there before. 

 

"Want some company?" Alec asked, startling Magnus out of his thoughts. 

 

"Alexander," he said softly. It sounded like a sigh of relief, like he'd just been waiting for Alec to show up. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I wanted to see how you were doing. I'm worried about you, Magnus."

 

Magnus' lips parted briefly before he shook his head. "You needn't worry, darling. I'm fine."

 

Alec stuck his hands in his pockets and moved closer. 

 

"You said that earlier, too," Alec reminded him with a pointed look. "Can't we just talk?"

 

"You're so stubborn," Magnus said with an almost-chuckle. 

 

"I prefer the word persistent."

 

Magnus assessed him for a second before casting a wary glance towards the house. 

 

"Alright, but not here. Ragnor isn't particularly fond of strangers and unlike me he wouldn't be pleased to see you here."

 

Magnus stood and brushed the dust off his jeans. He held out his hand to Alec. Alec felt his pulse jump as they clasped their hands together. Magnus smiled at him. It was a little sad, but it was still a smile. Alec was going to savor it. 

 

Magnus led him to a secluded garden behind the house that was surrounded by trees. Magnus guided him to a swinging bench attached to an old oak tree. They sat down on opposite ends, their entwined hands between them. Alec was almost overwhelmed by such a small gesture. 

 

"What did you want to talk about?" Magnus asked. 

 

Alec didn't even know where to start. He didn't want to pry into Magnus' personal affairs, but he was clearly very bothered by something. Alec wanted to be there for Magnus in any way he could without being too invasive. 

 

"Why were you so upset this morning? Before all of the Jonathan stuff, I mean."

 

Magnus chewed his lip nervously. It must be really bad if it had obliterated his usually cool composure. 

 

"I don't really want to go into specifics because it's messy and complicated and involves someone I'd rather not mention. Basically, someone from my past, has unexpectedly turned up again. They aren't here in Gatlin, but I can feel them trying to work their way back into my life."

 

Magnus furrowed his brow and Alec squeezed his hand comfortingly, urging him to go on. 

 

"They're not a good person, Alexander. They thrive on hurting people. This person and I are more similar than I'd like to admit and I'm afraid that I'll end up like them. When I heard 

that they were looking for me and even threatening some of my family, it made me think about how capable I am of destroying those that matter the most to me."

 

Magnus looked ashamed and he couldn't even meet Alec's gaze. Alec didn't understand how Magnus, one of the most compassionate people he'd ever met, could think he would turn out like this person. 

 

"So that's why Jonathan was getting to you. He was saying basically the same thing you were already freaking out about."

 

Magnus nodded silently. 

 

"You're both wrong," Alec said. "You and Jonathan. Magnus, I know you. Not once have I ever seen you try to hurt someone. You are kind and sweet and  _ good. _ "

 

That made Magnus flick his eyes up to Alec's face. They were filled with doubt and resignation. 

 

"I appreciate the sentiment, Alexander, but how could you possibly know that? When you think about it, we hardly know anything about each other. You can't be sure of what you're saying because you haven't met all sides of me, all the ugly sides."

 

Alec scoffed at Magnus' blindness. 

 

"I can, though. I don't need to be familiar with everything about you to recognize the good in you. I'm a fairly decent judge of character and I can tell, in your heart, that you want to help people, to love them. You don't want to hurt anyone. I  _ see _ you, Magnus, and there's nothing ugly about you." 

 

Magnus' eyes were watery, but they shined happily at Alec's words. The corner of his mouth was lifted in a little, hopeful smile. 

 

"Come here," Magnus whispered.

 

Alec scooted closer on the bench and Magnus drew him into an enveloping hug. Alec leaned into the touch, aching to soak up as much of this as he could get. Magnus smelled dizzyingly of sandalwood and his arms were wrapped tightly around Alec's neck. After a few seconds of hesitation, Alec gingerly gathered Magnus closer, hands resting gently on Magnus' lower back. Alec felt like he'd finally found true serenity in that embrace. He was soothed by the heat of his skin, the feel of his breath on Alec's neck, the press of his mouth against Alec's shoulder. 

 

"Thank you, Alexander." 

 

The words were whispered and heartbreakingly sincere. Alec could tell that his words were what Magnus had desperately needed to hear. 

 

Magnus drew back, sniffling and tears streaked down his cheeks. He noticed Alec watching the tears and flushed scarlet. He chuckled to hide his embarrassment.  

 

"I'm sorry," Magnus said lightly as he rubbed at his face.

 

Without thinking, Alec reached out and wiped the tears away with his thumb. Magnus breathed in sharply, but he didn't retreat from this sudden intimate act.

 

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Magnus."

 

Magnus swallowed harshly and nodded. Alec brushed away a final tear, smiled shyly at Magnus, and then retracted his hand. 

 

Magnus cleared his throat and it was like a knife through the intensity in the air.  

 

"While you may have refuted some of the things I said, I think one thing is still true. We don't know each other very well, even after these past three weeks. I don't know about you, Alexander, but I'd very much like to change that."

 

Alec's heart glowed brighter than the Carolina sunshine that was peeking through the trees. 

 

"I would love that," Alec said in a happy exhale. 

 

Magnus grinned and Alec tried not to read too much into the fondness in his eyes. Magnus was just grateful for the comfort and reassurance. It was friendship and, at least for Magnus, Alec knew it wasn't anything more. 

 

"So," Magnus started, "let's start with the basics. What do you do when you're not graced with my wonderful company?"

 

Alec barked out a laugh. 

 

"Well, I hang out with the rest of the group. I read a lot of books, like outside of the ten thousand pages that Mrs. Penhallow assigns every night. I hang out with my family and my mother's boyfriend Luke. That's it. I'm really not all that interesting."

 

Magnus shook his head incredulously. "I heartily disagree. I find you fascinating."

 

Alec felt his cheeks heat under the praise. 

 

"Shut up," he chuckled. 

 

"Nope," Magnus answered, popping the 'p'. "Is there anything else?"

 

Alec's mind turned to a particular hobby that he indulged in privately. He hadn't shared it with anyone for a long time. His father had rejected it and Alec had struggled to be open about it since then.

 

But Magnus was the furthest thing from Robert Lightwood and  Alec could trust him with this. 

 

"Well, there's something, I guess. I, uh, I'm a writer."

 

Magnus' eyes widened with wonder. 

 

"Really? What do you write?"

 

Alec glanced away when he answered. 

 

"Poetry."

 

Alec tried to push down his urge to retreat back into himself and brush over it. He'd been writing since middle school and it had been his solace when things had felt like too much. With being gay and just a general lack of self-esteem, poetry felt like an escape, a place to let every thought spill from his mind and onto a page. It made it easier to breathe. 

 

"Oh, Alexander, that's wonderful," Magnus said. 

 

"My father didn't think so. He thought it was 'too girly' of a hobby. I don't think he knew I was gay then, but he still was against anything that might make people think that I was. I remember I tried to show him something when I was in the seventh grade. I was so excited because I had worked on it all week and I was really proud of it. I handed it to him one night after dinner. He read maybe half of it before ripping it in half and tossing it in the trash. He told me to be a real man and find something more worth my time. I haven't shared any of my work since then."

 

Magnus placed a tender hand on Alec's arm, his fingers warm and soft against Alec's skin. He held back a shiver. 

 

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Alec. You shouldn't be ashamed of your writing, no matter what he said. I think it's extremely admirable that you are able to put your heart on a page and risk putting it out into the world like that. God knows not everyone is brave enough to do that. And, if it's okay, I think I'd really like to hear one of your poems."

 

Alec searched Magnus' face but he couldn't find anything that hinted Magnus was merely feigning interest. He looked genuinely curious about Alec's writing.

 

"Sure, yeah. Let me just pull one up on my phone."

 

Alec fumbled for his cell and scrolled through his notes app, searching for a draft he'd written late at night when he'd been unable to sleep after one of the nightmares. 

 

_ What are we in the daylight?  _

_ When the sheets are gone _

_ When we can't hide in our midnight dreams _

_ When they don't know what we don't say _

_ Are we the same as we are under the stars? _

 

_ What are you in the morning? _

_ When the darkness is gone _

_ When no one sees you with me _

_ When you forget the way you held my face _

_ Are you still my love? _

 

_ What am I in the sun? _

_ When I look to you and you don't look back _

_ When last night's promises burn like poison _

_ When your kiss becomes a moonlit memory _

_ Am I still yours? _

 

_ What are we in the daylight? _

 

_ We're nothing _

 

While Alec read aloud, Magnus leaned heavily against his side, resting his head on Alec's shoulder so he could read from the screen as Alec spoke. Alec could hardly concentrate and it took an immense amount of effort to keep his voice steady. It was almost too much, the combination of sharing his poem and Magnus' proximity. 

 

When he finished, Magnus just sat in silence for a few moments. Alec's heart raced nervously. Oh, god, he hated it and he was thinking of some way to let Alec down easy and-

 

"Alexander, that was lovely," Magnus breathed. He lifted his head to look directly at Alec. He was so close that Alec could barely even comprehend what he said. It was nearly impossible to think when he could feel the puffs of breath from Magnus' mouth and his chestnut eyes were the only thing Alec could bring into focus.  

 

"You think so?" Alec asked, voice low and a little shaky. He just about lost his mind when he saw Magnus' gaze flit downward to watch Alec's lips as he spoke. It sent a rush of desire through Alec and he wanted to kiss him more than anything. For the first time, Alec considered that Magnus might actually want him to.    

 

"I do."

 

Magnus met his eyes again and something unreadable flashed behind them. 

 

Abruptly, Magnus pulled away and the spell broke. Alec wasn't sure what had happened, but he wasn't going to mention it. If he'd misread what had just passed between them, bringing it up would only mortify Alec. 

 

"Thank you, Magnus," Alec managed to get out. "I'm glad."

 

"Thank  _ you  _ for letting me hear that," Magnus replied. 

 

"So, I want to be a poet, but what about you?" Alec asked. "What grand, exciting plans does Magnus Bane have for his life?"

 

Magnus fiddled with the ring on his pointer finger. 

 

"I haven't really given it much thought. At this point, I'm just trying to make it through the year. Maybe after this year, I'll be able to think about it, but I can't right now."

 

"Why not? What's so important about this year that you can't even think about the future?"

 

Magnus wiped his palms on his pants. He was nervous again.

 

"Nothing," Magnus said quickly. "Just too busy, I suppose."

 

Alec had an inkling that it went deeper than that, but he didn't want to see him upset again. He could let this go for now. 

 

"Alright, well you don't have to make definite plans then. There's still time. What about what you'd consider doing? What interests you?"  

 

Magnus seemed relieved that Alec had redirected the conversation. 

 

"I've always had an affinity for the sciences, especially chemistry."

 

Alec grinned. "Oh, I see. You're a nerd."

 

Magnus scoffed. "I am not a nerd, Alexander. You take that back."

 

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You can't help that you're a massive nerd who's into, like, cell respiration and chemical bonds and stuff."

 

"Actually, cell respiration is studied more in biology than chemistry."

 

Alec bumped Magnus' shoulder playfully with his own.

 

"Only a nerd would care enough to correct me on that," Alec countered. 

 

Magnus scrunched his nose cutely in amusement. 

 

"I hate you," Magnus said, but it was light and fond.

 

"Not true. You couldn't hate me if you tried."

 

Magnus' eyes went honeyed, gorgeously soft in the afternoon light. He was so beautiful and Alec could hardly stand it when he looked at Alec like that. 

 

"You might be right," Magnus answered as he stared at Alec. 

 

To keep himself from getting lost in Magnus' perfect chestnut eyes, Alec reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket he'd brought for him. 

 

"I almost forgot, but I have something for you. I thought it might cheer you up."

 

He held up the silver necklace and the sapphire glittered in the light. It really was quite a nice necklace. 

 

"Oh, Alexander, you really shouldn't have. It's stunning."

 

"I want you to have it, Magnus. I know it's not really your normal style, but I thought it would look really nice on you."

 

He hadn't really meant to say that last part, but he was glad he did when he saw Magnus flush pink. 

 

"Thank you, Alexander."

 

Alec was about to offer to help Magnus put it on when a voice called from far away, "Magnus!"

 

Immediately, Magnus' whole face darkened. 

 

"Ragnor," he muttered. 

 

"Your uncle?" Alec inquired. 

 

Magnus nodded. "Yes, unfortunately. Come on, you need to leave."

 

Magnus stood abruptly, grabbed Alec firmly by the arm, and basically dragged him back towards the front of the house.

 

"No need to manhandle me, Magnus," Alec quipped, trying to lighten the stormy mood emanating from Magnus. 

 

"Trust me it's better than getting stuck talking with my uncle at the moment. Keep walking."

 

"I wasn't complaining. You can manhandle me all you want."

 

Despite it all, Magnus smirked at him and cast him an exasperated side eye. 

 

When they were back in front of the house, Alec saw a man standing on the porch. He wore a long, emerald green robe over what looked to be a set of black silk pajamas. He leaned heavily on a gold cane. His hair was gray and curly and it framed a year-weary face. Alec had never seen Ragnor Fell in person before and after the years of town gossip, he'd been expecting someone much more imposing. 

 

"Magnus, who's your friend?" His voice was cool and smooth, measured and sure.

 

"He's no one, Ragnor. He's leaving," Magnus said as he hurried Alec towards the path back to his car. 

 

"Young man, since my nephew is being so unhelpful, what's your name?"

 

Alec stopped walking and ignored Magnus' insistent hold on his arm. 

 

"Alec Lightwood, sir. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

 

"Lightwood, did you say?" Ragnor said. "I believe I knew your father Robert. No offense, but I dearly hope the apple fell far, far from the tree."

 

Alec laughed. "I promise you it did." 

 

Ragnor smiled slowly, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

 

"Magnus, I like this one. Why don't you invite him in for tea?"

 

Magnus frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea. Alexander needs to be on his way."

 

At the same time, Alec said, "I'd love to stay for tea. Thank you, sir."

 

Magnus glared at Alec now but Alec merely smiled at him. There was no way he was going to pass up on a chance to talk with the infamous Ragnor Fell. 

 

Ragnor clapped his hands together. 

 

"Well, it's decided then. Come on in, Mr. Lightwood."

 

Ragnor turned back to the house, waiting at the door for the two of them. 

 

"He's not nearly as scary as everyone says he is," Alec whispered as they walked towards the steps. 

 

Magnus didn't say anything as they walked towards what was to come.

 

.

 

Magnus ushered Alec inside and directed him towards a couch. He held back to walk beside Ragnor. 

 

"What are you doing?" he hissed through his teeth. 

 

"I told you not to play with mortals, Magnus. It's too dangerous."

 

Rahnor pulled ahead of him and sat down in an armchair across from Alec. Magnus, though still confused as to what his uncle had in mind, sat down next to Alec on the couch. He tried to school his features, but he could feel his worried frown  pulling at the corner of his mouth. Whatever Ragnor was doing, he knew it wasn't going to be good. 

 

"So," Alec started as Ragnor poured tea for them all, "how did you know my father?"

 

"As you know, he was a prominent businessman before he left town. He was interested in buying some of my land and we met a few times during negotiations. I never sold him any, though. I wasn't very inclined to give my family's land to a man I wouldn't trust with so much as a penny."

 

"I can't blame you there," Alec nodded. 

 

"Let's not talk about Robert," Ragnor said with a wave of his hand. "He's not worth our time. Instead, why don't you tell me about how you met Magnus."

 

"He hasn't mentioned me before?" Alec asked, turning to look at Magnus with a playful gleam in his eye. Magnus shrugged. How could he explain that he had very good reasons for keeping Alec out of his home life?

 

"In passing, perhaps, but he was reluctant to divulge any details."

 

"Well, we have class together at the high school so I saw him then. We really met on the first day after I may or may not have almost hit him with my car. Not a great first impression, I know, but thankfully he forgave me. We've been friends ever since."

 

His smile turned gentler as he looked to Magnus again. Magnus felt a little ray of happiness cut through his wariness towards Ragnor. Alec seemed truly grateful for the relationship they'd formed; Magnus felt the exact same way. 

 

"How sweet," Ragnor said and Magnus returned to watching him. His expression was housing a myriad of different emotions that were too tangled up in one another for Magnus to discern any single one. Magnus was unsettled that he couldn't read Ragnor, a person he'd known for almost his whole life. He didn't like this at all. 

 

"I guess so," Alec said, his gaze lingering on Magnus. He seemed to be picking up on Magnus' discontent and it was making him uneasy as well. 

 

"Now, Alec, tell me more about  _ you _ ," Ragnor prompted. "Where do you see yourself in, say, five years?"

 

Magnus noticed a subtle shimmer dancing around Ragnor's fingers in his lap. He was casting a spell, but for what?

 

"Ragnor, that's enough," Magnus warned, keeping an eye on the wisps of magic. 

 

"Magnus, it's alright," Alec said, oblivious. "Well, I've always wanted to get out of Gatlin, go to college, all the usual stuff."

 

"College? Where have you applied?" Ragnor asked as he did a little loop with his index finger. 

 

"All of them, as long as they're not too far from home." Alec stopped, shaking his head at himself. He laughed, but it seemed forced. "I mean as long as I can still come home on the weekends."

 

"Go on," Ragnor urged. "What next?"

 

"Well, once I get my degree, probably in medicine like my mother, I'll come back home and work in the clinic. Or, if I fail out of med school, I'll come back and take over the library for Luke."

 

Magnus furrowed his brow. Something wasn't right. The Alec he knew wanted to get the hell out of Gatlin and go as far away as possible. He would never even consider attending med school and he definitely had no intentions of ever coming back to this town. 

 

"I'll spend the rest of my life in the closet because the people here will never accept me for who I am. I'll get lonely and I'll start to drink to numb the pain. I'll watch as Izzy and the rest of my friends go away and do great things outside of Gatlin and travel the world. I'll never leave and I'll cry over the postcards they send me from Paris or London or wherever they vacationed that year. When I'm fifty-one, I'll have my first heart attack, another one at sixty-three. I'll drink even more because I can't pay my medical bills until one night I drink myself to death. I won't have any friends around though so no one will even notice I'm dead until I start to smell a few days later."

 

"Alec," Magnus gasped. The image he'd painted was horrific and made Magnus sick to his stomach. 

 

"Well, it sounds like you have everything planned out," Ragnor said lowly, the magic dissipating into the air. Magnus saw the guilt on his face. 

 

Alec looked like he was having trouble breathing and a sheen of sweat lined the edge of his forehead. Tears clouded his eyes.

 

"Alexander, are you okay?" Magnus asked, touching Alec's shoulder. He flinched away.

 

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Uh, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. I'm sorry. I, um, I haven't been sleeping well and I think I should just go."

 

He rose on wobbly legs and rushed out the front door. Ragnor slammed it behind him with a flick of his wrist. 

 

Magnus stood so he towered over his uncle. 

 

"What did you do, Ragnor?" Magnus demanded. 

 

"What I had to. With Asmodeus' return, we can't trust anyone, especially not a Lightwood. His presence in your life will only bring danger. He had to go."

 

"You're delusional," Magnus spat. "Alec couldn't hurt a soul and he's definitely not some spy for my father or whatever you were thinking. He's not a threat to anyone."

 

"I'm not delusional, I'm cautious. Even if he isn't working with Asmodeus, I warned you against involvement with mortals. They will only provoke you and this window shattering is only the beginning. I regret that it had to come to this, but I will do everything that it takes to keep you safe."

 

Magnus ran his hand through his hair in frustration. 

 

"Ragnor, he's my  _ friend.  _ He  _ cares _ about me. How is that a danger to me? Why can't you just let me have one good thing in my life until my birthday?"

 

Magnus couldn't take this anymore, the unfairness of it all. He stalked toward the stairs, desperate for some space.

 

Ragnor shook his head. "Trust me, Lightwoods are never a good thing. Don't invite him here ever again."

 

"I wouldn't worry about that," Magnus fired back. "I'm sure he won't be back after the way you just tortured him."

 

With that, Magnus charged up the stairs and locked himself in his bedroom. 

 

.

 

Ragnor ran a hand down his face. He hated himself for tormenting the poor boy, but it had to be done. He wasn't going to let any harm come to Magnus, especially not when he knew exactly how Lightwoods could ruin people. 

 

Ragnor pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the right number. He was hoping he'd never have to use it again, but Alec Lightwood's appearance in Magnus' life warranted it. 

 

_ "Hello?" _ a deep voice said on the other end of the line. 

 

"Lucian," Ragnor greeted solemnly. 

 

_ "Ragnor Fell. I was hoping you'd never call me again." _

 

"And I was hoping that I wouldn't have to, but here we are."

 

_ "What do you need?"  _ Luke asked impatiently.  _ "You only call when you need something from me." _

 

"I need you to keep the Lightwood boy away from Magnus. That was our agreement, Lucian. You keep the mortals out of warlock business and I'll keep the town safe from unwanted warlock interference."

 

_ "Damn it, Alec,"  _ Ragnor heard him swear.  _ "I warned him to keep his distance. Apparently, he didn't listen. And don't start with me about our agreement. You think I didn't hear about that incident at the school? I'd call that unwanted warlock interference if I've ever seen it." _

 

Ragnor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fair enough. And, in the name of transparency, I should probably tell you that Asmodeus is looking for Magnus."

 

_ "Hold on, you said he was dead!" _ Luke yelled. Ragnor flinched away from the phone. 

 

"We all thought he was. We were wrong."

 

_ "No shit, Ragnor. You need to fix this. He is not going to destroy this town." _

 

"Well, you can help me with that. I need you to consult the texts and see if we can find any wards powerful enough to stop him. Surely your family's archives will have something I can use to keep Asmodeus out."

 

Luke sighed heavily. 

 

_ "Fine. I'll do some digging and see what I can find." _

 

"And you'll keep Alec away from Magnus?"

 

_ "I can try. He's a stubborn kid when he wants to be. There may not be anything I can do. But I know how treacherous a relationship between a Lightwood and a Bane can be. I'll do my best. Goodbye, Ragnor." _

 

.

 

Alec panted as he walked back to his car. He felt wild and out of control. What had happened back there? It was like he hadn't been able to stop saying all of those terrible, morbid things about his future. All of his fears, all of his doubts had come pouring out in the form of that dark premonition. 

 

His hands were shaking so bad that he shoved them in his pockets to steady them. Alec almost jumped when he felt cool metal press against his overheated skin. The locket. He'd been interrupted before he'd been able to give it to Magnus. 

 

Alec considered just leaving and forgetting about the locket. He should just go home and try to wash off the day. Too many weird things had happened today and Alec needed time to just process all of it. He could go home and write or take a bath or read until his eyes burned. He could repress the hell out of today's events and pretend none of it had even happened. 

 

Something stopped him, though. He felt drawn back to that godforsaken house, to Magnus. 

 

Alec cursed himself before spinning on his heel and walking back towards the house. He would just give Magnus the locket and then he would go home. 

 

He approached Fell Manor and when he shifted his gaze to take it all in, he saw Magnus appear in a window on the second floor. Alec pointed back towards the garden they'd been in earlier. Magnus nodded before darting out of sight. 

 

Alec made his way back to the garden and paced across the patio until Magnus arrived. Magnus came up to him hurriedly. 

 

"You came back," Magnus breathed. 

 

"Yeah," Alec said. "I'm sorry for what happened in there. I honestly don't know what came over me."

 

Magnus shook his head. "It's not your fault, okay?"

 

"Okay."

 

Standing this close, Alec got a really good look at Magnus' face. He remembered that feeling from when he'd first seen Magnus, the feeling that he had seen him somewhere before. That sharp jaw. The velvety smooth tan skin. The spiked up hair. Alec imagined what Magnus would look like if he were lit up by lightning and slightly obscured by an unrelenting downpour. 

 

Without thinking about it, Alec reached out and laid gentle fingers against Magnus' face. The other boy inhaled sharply. 

 

"I hope this doesn't sound weird," Alec said, "but I think I've been dreaming about you every night for almost a year."

 

Magnus' lips parted in surprise. Alec let his hand drop. 

 

Alec let out a self-deprecating laugh. "That didn't sound as creepy when I said it in my head. Could you maybe forget I said that?"

 

"Sure," he said. 

 

Alec cleared his throat. "So, uh, the locket. That's why I came back. I wanted to give it to you."

 

Magnus smiled. "Right, the locket."

 

Alec pulled it out of his pocket. He opened it to show Magnus the engraving. 

 

"Look, on the inside it says JL and CB. And then there's the date December 21st, 1862. No clue what it means though."

 

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "December 21st?"

 

"Yeah, why?"

 

"That's my birthday," Magnus answered, eyes locked on the necklace.

 

Alec shook his head in disbelief. "That's one badass coincidence, Magnus. It seems like you were meant to have this thing."

 

"Maybe," he said. 

 

"Well, either way, it's yours now. Here you go. Consider it an early birthday present."

 

Alec placed the locket in Magnus' hand, his fingers brushing against Magnus' palm as he did. 

 

Suddenly, their surroundings melted away and Alec gasped as a new reality appeared before his eyes. 

 

_ Screams erupted around him. A woman ran across a field of grass. Her huge skirts were bunched up in her hands, her dark hair flowing behind her in the wind. A smoke made the air hazy and it choked her, but she kept running.  _

 

_ A man in a gray uniform was running towards her. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder and he was covered in dirt. His hat fell off his head as he went on and he didn't bother on picking it up, too determined to reach the woman.  _

 

_ The scene shifted momentarily and other images flashed to replace it. A torn American flag. The locket in a mud-covered hand. A soldier in a blue uniform.  _

 

_ Back to the man the scene went. He collided with the woman, pulling her tightly against his chest.  _

 

_ "Joseph!" she cried, pulling back only enough that she could kiss him.  _

 

_ "Cinta," he sighed, cradling her face in his hands. Their next words were drowned out by a canon and the sound of people crying.  _

 

_ An orange light erupted and the two looked to see a giant manor consumed by flames.  _

 

_ "No!" the woman screamed, wrenching herself from the man's hold. He called after her but she ignored him and ran right into the fire.    _

 

_ Again, the images changed rapidly.  _

 

_ The blue soldier.  _

 

_ The man lying on his back in the grass.  _

 

_ The flag on fire.  _

 

_ The woman sobbing.  _

 

_ The sound of a gunshot rang out and everything went dark.  _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I say this with every chapter but uhhh sorry for making you wait like ten thousand years

Alec cried out, eyes shooting open and darting around. 

 

_ How the hell was he in his house?  _

 

The last thing Alec remembered was handing the locket to Magnus and then a blur of other images that felt jumbled in his memory. His head ached and all he could grasp were flashes of what he'd seen.  _ The flag. A gun. A scream.  _

 

And now he was laying on his living room couch, breaths heavy and strained. 

 

"Alec! Hey, what's going on?"

 

Alec looked to the door and saw Luke rushing into the room. 

 

"Are you okay, kiddo?" Luke tried again, concerned eyes trained on Alec.

 

Alec stood on shaky legs. 

 

"Luke, how did I get here?" His voice wobbled with every syllable. 

 

"You were here when I got home. You were finally getting some sleep so I didn't want to disturb you," he responded in a level but wary tone. 

 

Alec ran a hand through his hair which was slightly damp with a panicked sweat. Alec felt like he was losing his mind. After what'd happened during tea with Ragnor and the weird visions when he touched the locket and now ending up in his house with no recollection of how he'd gotten there, Alec felt like he couldn't find his balance. 

 

"I-I don't know what's going on and I just-"

 

"Hey, it's going to be alright, Alec. You're okay. How about we just sit down and talk?"

 

Luke reached out to guide Alec back to the sofa but Alec pulled away. He was too jittery to sit down. 

 

"No! I can't just sit down, Luke! So much crazy shit has happened today and I just- I feel like I can't even trust my own head and I don't know what's happening to me! Fuck, how did I even get here? I was at Magnus' place and then the locket and then-"

 

Luke drew his brow. 

 

"Woah, hold on. You were at Fell Manor with Magnus Bane?"

 

Alec didn't see how that mattered when he was standing here with no memories of how he made it home.

 

"Yes, but it's not important right now."

 

"I thought I told you to stay away from him and his family," Luke said sternly. "Jesus, Alec, do you even listen to me?"

 

"Luke, just stop! I can't deal with whatever you have against Magnus right now.  _ It doesn't matter _ . I need to find out what happened after I gave him the locket and-"

 

"What locket?" Luke asked, interrupting Alec again.

 

At that, Alec realized he had his fist clamped around something. The locket. He still had it. 

 

"This locket," Alec said, lifting it to show Luke. 

 

Somehow, Luke's expression got even darker. 

 

"Why do you have that? Where did you get it?"

 

"Uh, I don't know."

 

Luke frowned. He saw right through Alec. 

 

"Listen to me, Alec. You'd better bury that thing back in Greenbriar and leave it there."

 

"I never said I got it from Greenbriar."

 

Clearly, Luke knew something that Alec didn't. He knew exactly what this locket was but he wasn't going to share that with Alec. Alec had always trusted Luke like a father, but right now Alec felt disconnected from him. His suspicion of Magnus and his secrets were putting Alec on edge. It was just one more level of confusion building on Alec's shoulders. 

 

"Alec," Luke started, but Alec stopped him with a wave of his hand.

 

"Don't bother. I honestly can't process any of this right now. I need some air. Don't follow me."

 

Alec stormed out of the house and went right to his car. He needed some space to clear his head and that meant getting  as far away from his house as possible. 

 

Maybe then something would start to make sense. 

 

.

 

"Let's talk."

 

Ragnor raised an eyebrow at Magnus before closing his book.

 

"Oh, you want to talk? I didn't think we'd be on speaking terms for at least another week. You are very good at holding grudges."

 

"Very funny, Ragnor, but this is important," Magnus answered. 

 

He sat down in the plush chair across from Ragnor. 

 

"Well, alright then. What's going on, my boy?"

 

Magnus sucked in a shaky breath. He felt scattered after the day he'd had, but he needed to appear solid if Ragnor was going to listen to him.  

 

"I need to go back to school. You can't keep me from going."

 

The older man sighed wearily and slumped a little in his seat. 

 

"Magnus, please, we've been over this."

 

"I know, but I don't think you were listening to me earlier. Not really. Emotions were running too high then, but now that the dust has settled for today, I want to discuss this."

 

Ragnor contemplated what Magnus said for a moment before nodding and gesturing for him to begin. 

 

"I think I need to be there. It's the only place where I haven't felt entirely bad. The friends I made there, Alec included, distract me from my claiming and I don't know if you understand how huge that is for me. For the past year, that's almost all I've been able to think about. About how I'm afraid of losing control. About how I'm going dark. They make me forget about all of that. I feel like I can breathe for a minute. Ragnor, I need this for at least a few more months. I want to feel like myself for just a little while longer. You can understand that, right?"

 

"I can," Ragnor conceded, "but there are risks. What if you lash out again? What then?"

 

"I won't, I promise. I won't let Jonathan Morgenstern get to me again. I'll control my magic."

 

"Jonathan? Is that who you meant when you said someone was bothering you at school?" Ragnor leaned forward in his chair. 

 

Magnus nodded. Just the thought of the asshole made Magnus clench his jaw, but he kept himself in check. He needed to rein in his emotions if he wanted to get Ragnor on his side. 

 

"I'll be having a word with his father about this." Ragnor raised a finger to quiet Magnus' protest. "You can't stop me. The little prick can't treat you with anything less than the respect you deserve."

 

"Fine," Magnus relented. "And what about school? Can I please go back?"

 

Ragnor studied him for a moment with solemn eyes. Magnus knew Ragnor loved him and he was only trying to protect him. It just so happened that his physical safety may be at the expense of his last chance at some degree of genuine happiness.

 

"I'll have to talk to Gatlin High and see if they can be persuaded to lift your suspension, but yes I will allow it. On two conditions."

 

Magnus felt a weight lift of his chest. His life wasn't completely falling apart. Not yet, at least. 

 

"Yes, anything."

 

"First of all, we're doing more lessons. You need more training to make sure we don't have another incident in front of the mortals."

 

Magnus nodded eagerly. 

 

"Easy. What's the other condition?"

 

Ragnor grimaced and a sense of foreboding gathered in Magnus' gut. Clearly this one was going to be far more unsavory. 

 

"You must stay away from the Lightwood boy. I know you care for him, Magnus, but it is better this way. I have reasons that I don't care to divulge, but trust me when I say you will be better off without him."

 

There it was. The thing to make Magnus' heart clench. He didn't want to stay away from Alec. He wanted him to be closer than any other person he'd ever met. Magnus didn't want to say goodbye to him. 

 

So he wouldn't. 

 

Magnus wouldn't say goodbye, but Ragnor didn't need to know that.

 

"I won't pretend to like this particular rule, but fine. I won't see him again."

 

The older warlock seemed surprised. 

 

"You're not going to fight me on it?

 

Magnus feigned resignation. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. 

 

"There's no point. It's not like you're going to change your mind."

 

Ragnor frowned sadly. "No, I won't. Maybe I'll explain eventually, but I'm glad you trust my judgement for now."

 

Magnus didn't trust his judgement whatsoever. Anyone who thought Alec was capable of hurting someone wasn't in their right mind. 

 

Magnus stood from his chair. 

 

"Alright then. I'm going to go to bed now. It's been a long day to say the least."

 

Ragnor smiled softly. "Alright, Magnus. Goodnight. I love you."

 

Despite how much Ragnor was sheltering him and making his life difficult, Magnus knew he was being honest. He loved Magnus like a son.

 

"I love you too, Ragnor."

 

Magnus turned and went up to his room. He collapsed onto his bed with a heaving breath. 

 

This one win wasn't enough to calm his mind after the absolute madness of the day, unfortunately. Magnus was still rattled from his encounter with the hellish Jonathan and finding out that his father was still alive. He kept seeing flashes of a spellbound Alec spewing out dismal premonitions about his future. And then there was whatever had happened when they'd touched the locket. 

 

Magnus had no idea what had happened. One second he was staring at Alec, beautiful, gentle Alec, and then he'd been surrounded by war and blood and fear. When he came back to his senses, Alec had been passed out on the ground in front of him. He'd seemed alright besides being unconscious so Magnus had quickly carried the boy back to his car, drove him home, and placed him on the first piece of furniture he saw. Magnus had wanted to stay with Alec and make sure he really was okay, but he couldn't run the risk of Ragnor discovering he'd left. 

 

Whatever had happened, it was definitely magical. Magnus could feel it in the way his own magic had called out to the locket as soon as Alec had shown it to him. Intuitively, Magnus could sense that it was old magic, magic that felt strangely familiar. 

 

Magnus had wanted to keep his world away from Alec, but it seemed to have found its own way into Alec's life anyway. Now, all Magnus could do was make sure that it didn't destroy him

 

He reached for his phone. There was one unread message. 

 

_ Alexander: We need to talk. Maybe this is a terrible idea, but I'm on my way to the Manor now. I need to see you. _

 

Magnus couldn't fight the excited spark that ran down his spine. He knew that their talk would undoubtedly be complicated, but it would give him a chance to see Alec in person and make sure he was okay. 

 

The most pressing issue was how to sneak Alec in without Ragnor noticing. The Manor's wards would alert Ragnor immediately to Alec's presence. He's wasn't sure he'd forgive Magnus for disobeying his orders so soon after finally coming an agreement. That's why he didn't need to know. 

 

Magnus sat up on his bed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before reaching out to the wards with his magic. They felt cool and electric, but they also felt like the weight of old books and stray rays of sunshine peeking through curtains. They felt like Ragnor in his purest form. Magnus used his own magic to burn the smallest hole in them, not enough that Ragnor would notice, but enough to let Alec pass through when he arrived. It was a delicate process that left Magnus slightly winded but it would do the trick.  

 

Now, all he had to do was wait. 

 

.

 

When Alec stood in front of the gate that night, he tried to ignore the trepidation in his chest, but it felt like entering was just an invitation for one more inexplicable and disturbing thing to happen to him. 

 

He almost turned around and got back into his car, but a text chimed on his phone. 

 

_ Magnus: I need to see you too, Alexander. I'll be waiting.  _

 

It was the push Alec needed to steel his nerves and start walking towards the house. He wasn't going to keep Magnus waiting. 

 

The anxiety was just starting to fade when Alec felt something latch onto his ankle. He cried out and tried to yank himself free to no avail. Upon looking down, he saw a thick vine slowly curling it's way up Alec's leg. 

 

"What the hell," Alec gasped as he futilely tried to pull himself away. With every full-bodied tug, the vine only crawled up him faster. He felt another of the vines wrap around his other leg and he was roughly brought to he ground. 

 

He had to do something, but his mind felt frozen. He could barely process what was happening because  _ what the actual fuck was going on? _

 

From his position on the ground, Alec saw his phone laying nearby. He stretched to grab it as he felt the vines creeping up his torso. They were tightening around his ribs and he could barely breathe. 

 

He frantically pushed buttons until it started to ring.

 

_ "Alexander?" _

 

"Magnus," Alec panted. "H-help."

 

_ "Alexander? What's the matter? Where are you?" _

 

"By the g-gate. Please, M-"

 

Alec couldn't finish his sentence because the vines were wrapping around his throat. 

 

Alec dropped the phone and clutched at the vines, fighting as hard as he could against their strangling grip. Spots danced before his eyes as he was deprived of oxygen. 

 

Alec could barely process what happened in the next few seconds. He heard a garbled voice and he looked to see a very blurry Magnus running towards him. A ball of blue flames hurtled towards him. He flinched, expecting to feel its heat, but it didn't come. Instead, the vines disappeared and he could breathe again. 

 

A raspy cough tore itself from his throat and he didn't feel strong enough to even lift himself up from his current position face-down in the dirt. 

 

In an instant, he felt hands on his body and he was lifted into someone's lap. He blinked a few times to clear his vision.  _ Magnus.  _

 

"Alexander, are you alright?"

 

Magnus stared down at him with wide, brown eyes. They were clouded with worry. 

 

"Magnus," was all Alec could manage to say before his body decided it'd had enough and shut down into oblivion. 

 

.

 

When he woke, Alec was in a strange room and a strange bed. The air smelled like sandalwood and the only light was from the lamp on the nightstand beside him. Also on the nightstand was a glass of water, two aspirin, and a plate of crackers. 

 

"You're awake."

 

Alec rubbed his temples to soothe his pounding head and turned to see Magnus sitting on a bench by the window. He was wearing sweatpants and a zip-up hoodie that revealed half of his chest. 

 

"It would seem that way, yes," he groaned. "Christ, my head hurts."

 

"Hexes tend to do that to mortals. Take the aspirin and eat the crackers. It'll help."

 

Alec mindlessly obeyed, just trying to ease the pain. It wasn't until he was halfway through his third cracker that what Magnus said fully sank in. 

 

"What do you mean by hexes?" Alec asked slowly. 

 

Magnus wrapped his arms around himself. 

 

"I think you know what I mean. A hex. A spell. Magic."

 

Alec shook his head. 

 

"You're not making any sense."

 

Magnus sent him a bored look. "I'm making perfect sense. What do you think those vines were, Alexander? Do you think that perfectly normal vines just suddenly gain the ability to move on their own and attack people? No, it was Ragnor's attempt to keep you away from me. He cast a spell to keep you from reaching me. I thought I'd cleared all of his wards so that you could come, but apparently he masked that one so I couldn't find it."

 

Alec felt like he was spinning. It was all too much. Magic? That wasn't real. 

 

"I don't understand. I'm sorry."

 

Magnus sighed and rose from his seat. He made his way over to the bed and perched on the edge. 

 

"Don't be sorry, darling. You're perfectly smart enough to understand, but you've gone through quite a frazzling string of events today. I know it's a lot to wrap your head around, but just think about it. The vines. The windows. What happened at tea today. Those were all caused by magic. It's real."

 

Alec searched Magnus' face, waiting for his flat expression to crack and for him to say that he was only kidding. As the seconds ticked on, Alec had a feeling that maybe this wasn't some elaborate practical joke. 

 

"You're serious?" Alec whispered. 

 

"Very serious," Magnus assured. "Here, it may be easier to show you."

 

He lifted his hand, his palm towards the ceiling. Alec watched as blue sparks started to flow from Magnus' fingertips. The little sparks loftily morphed into the shape of a butterfly. The translucent creature fluttered around in front of their faces. Alec was mesmerized. He'd never seen anything like it before. Alec raised an awestruck hand to touch it. It landed on his finger for a moment before disintegrating into a flurry of blue shimmering dust that soon disappeared into the air. 

 

"Believe me now?" Magnus asked. 

 

Alec huffed out an aborted laugh. "I think I do."

 

"Good because I was tired of hiding it from you. I wish it had been under different circumstances, but I'm glad you know the truth."

 

"Right, that you're a wizard."

 

Magnus scrunched his nose in distaste. "We prefer the term warlock."

 

"My mistake."

 

Alec smiled weakly at him. His mind was completely blown and he ached in parts of his body that he hadn't even known existed before, but he had enough energy to see that it all made sense. Everything that had happened today was because of magic. Magnus was a warlock. 

 

"So," Alec started. "You did break the window today?"

 

Magnus flinched. 

 

"I didn't mean to, but yes. I lost control of my magic. I was so upset and I just couldn't keep it in. I swear I didn't want to hurt anyone."

 

Alec sat up and placed a hand over Magnus'.

 

"I know that, Magnus. I'm not blaming you. It's alright."

 

Magnus looked at him incredulously. 

 

"You are handling this surprisingly well. I think most people would have called me a monster by now."

 

"You're the farthest thing from a monster, and I'm not most people," Alec replied. 

 

Magnus laced his fingers through Alec's. Alec couldn't control the frantic beat of his heart at that moment. 

 

"You most certainly are not. I don't think I've ever met someone quite like you before, Alexander Lightwood." 

 

The tension was palpable between them but Alec didn't want to give in. He still needed some more information and he knew he wouldn't be able to if they maintained this intensity. 

 

"So, uh, do you mind if I ask a few more questions? Just to clear things up?"

 

Magnus cleared his throat and glanced away for a second, seeming to recollect himself. 

 

"Of course. Whatever you need."

 

"You all, warlocks I mean, what exactly can you do?"

 

Magnus thought for a moment. 

 

"Well, we all can cast spells and do magic, but we all have our specialties. For example, Ragnor is especially apt at transmutations while I tend to lean more towards potions. Also, we're immortal. We all age at different rates but eventually we stop."

 

"Immortal? You're not, like, four hundred years old are you?"

 

Magnus chuckled. "No, I'm sixteen. That was one thing I never hid from you."

 

"Good to know. Next question, just to clarify, this isn't like a devil thing, is it? The people in town aren't right, are they?"

 

Alec watched as a mirthless smirk twisted his lips. 

 

"That's such a mortal thing to say. There's just evil in the world, Alexander. There are good warlocks and evil warlocks just like there are good people and evil people. The only difference between us is that mortals found someone else to blame for their screw-ups."

 

While that conflicted with his very religious (or at least superficially religious) upbringing, it made sense. Humans didn't want to take responsibility for their actions so they simply claimed that the devil made them do it and moved on. 

 

"Fair enough. And the locket, was that you?"

 

Magnus shook his head. "It wasn't me. Something happened when we both touched it, but that thing has a magic of its own. We were just dragged along for the ride."

 

"Okay, one last question."

 

"Go for it," Magnus said. 

 

"Why me?" Alec asked. 

 

Magnus furrowed his brow. "I'm not following."

 

"Why are you telling  _ me _ all of this?"

 

"I didn't really have a choice. You've seen so much that I was afraid you might lose your mind if I didn't give you some kind of explanation."

 

"Is that all it is?"

 

Magnus deflated a little. His shoulders sagged and he looked weary. 

 

"I guess I wanted to talk to someone. Everywhere I've been in the past, I've had to hide. I felt like I couldn't be normal because I always had this huge secret to keep. I was always apart from the crowd because I knew that they'd never see me, the real me. I'm telling you because I want to feel like there is someone who knows me, really knows me. I want that person to be you because you make me feel like less of an outsider, like I'm just a normal teenager."

 

Alec couldn't hold in a laugh.

 

"What?" Magnus asked defensively. 

 

"Magnus, you're anything but normal."

 

Magnus drew his hand away from Alec's. He looked slightly hurt.

 

"Oh gee, thanks for rubbing it in."

 

Alec scooted closer to him on the bed. His crisscrossed legs pressed against Magnus' hip. He reached out and placed a warm hand on Magnus' arm. 

 

"That's not what I meant. You're not normal and I can't imagine why you'd want to be anything except exactly who you already are. You're a miracle, Magnus."

 

Alec heard Magnus' breath catch. His eyes burned into Alec with an emotion that made Alec feel dizzy. 

 

It was true. To Alec, Magnus was a work of divinity. Regardless of his magic, just the creation of Magnus had been an act of heaven. He was beautiful and brilliant and so warm that Alec felt like he was melting. He shouldn't have been real and yet here he was. 

 

"Do you mean that?" Magnus breathed. 

 

His voice was vulnerable and quiet, like he was too shocked to speak properly. 

 

"Every word," Alec promised. 

 

Something resolute settled in Magnus' gaze. He seemed to have made his mind up about something, but Alec didn't know what. 

 

He found out a second later when Magnus leaned in and kissed him gently. 

 

Somehow, this moment overwhelmed Alec more than anything else to happen that day. Every desire, every yearning, every desperate thought he'd had about Magnus poured out of him and into that kiss. Weeks of longing swelled in his chest and Alec felt himself unconsciously lean more into Magnus' space. The moment felt undeniably right. 

 

All too soon, Magnus pulled back. He was grinning as he stared at Alec. A sort of joyful skepticism painted his features. 

 

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming. I want this to be real."

 

"Why would it be a dream?"

 

Magnus sucked in a breath through his teeth. 

 

"Don't be mad, but I've been dreaming about you too. I mean we've never kissed in them before, but you never know. Maybe this is the one time we do."

 

Alec shook his head. 

 

"You should've told me before! I was so embarrassed!"

 

Magnus shrugged. 

 

"I'm sorry?"

 

Alec chuckled. He was confused about what the dreams meant, but it was hard to worry about them when he could still taste Magnus on his lips. 

 

"I think I know a way you can make it up to me," Alec said, leaning in again. 

 

Magnus smirked and matched Alec's movements. 

 

"Oh? And what would that be?"

 

Alec let his eyes flutter shut and kissed Magnus again.  

 

It was heavier this time, hungrier. Alec thought he just might die at the decadent way Magnus kissed him. He ran his hands through Alec's hair which made a delicious tingle run down his spine. Alec wanted to feel every inch of him. He let his hands find Magnus' chest, gripping his hoodie to pull him closer. Alec kissed him a little harder.

 

"Is this real enough for you?" Alec murmured between kisses. 

 

He felt Magnus smile against his lips. 

 

"Darling, I couldn't dream up something this perfect if I tried."

 

They kissed for another minute before they both heard something from outside that made them wrench apart. 

 

"Magnus, are you still up? Cat's on the phone and she's asking for you."

 

Magnus flinched and bit his lip.

 

"Uh, yeah. I'll be out in a minute. Keep her on the phone."

 

Magnus grabbed Alec's arm and ushered him to the window. He opened the window and did some flourishing movements with his hand. Alec saw what looked like tree roots start crawling up the side of the house. 

 

"You want me to climb out the window?" Alec whispered.

 

"Well, you can't exactly use the front door," Magnus replied dryly.  

 

"Magnus?" Ragnor called. 

 

"One minute!" Magnus shouted back. "I'm, uh, naked! Don't come in!"

 

"If only I were so lucky," Alec sighed in a faux forlorn tone.

 

Magnus glared at him playfully. 

 

"Now I really want you to go out the window," Magnus teased. 

 

"We really need to have a conversation about oversharing," Ragnor answered. "I really didn't need to know that, Magnus!"

 

Alec made it out the window and planted his feet sturdily on a notch on the root Magnus had summoned. Alec started preparing to climb down. 

 

"Wait," Magnus said hurriedly. When Alec looked towards him, Magnus cupped his face with his palms and kissed him firmly. Alec very nearly fell to his death because his knees went so weak, but it was worth it. 

 

"When can I see you again?"  Alec asked. 

 

"I don't know, but you need to go."

 

"How about Saturday?"

 

Magnus rolled his eyes.

 

"I can't do Saturday. I have a family dinner thing."

 

"Fine, but sometime before then. Say yes."

 

Magnus laughed but nodded.

 

"Yes, alright. Now go before Ragnor finds out you were here."

 

Alec pushed up to kiss him one last time before slowly lowering himself down the knobby root.

 

"Couldn't have just made me a ladder," Alec grumbled when he landed on the ground. 

 

When he made it back to his car, he sat in his seat and threw his head back against the headrest. 

 

His heart was still racing. He could barely comprehend everything that had happened today. Magnus was a warlock. Magic was real and it was in Gatlin. Alec had kissed Magnus Bane. 

 

There was still so much to figure out, but all Alec could think about was the feel of Magnus' hands and the press of his lips. 

For the night, Alec was content with that being the only thing he thought about. 

 

And think about it he would. He'd think about it on the drive home and when he was brushing his teeth and when he was writing some very sappy poems at his desk. He'd think about it until the moment before he passed out in his bed from utter exhaustion but with a small smile of his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about this chapter. Let me know what you think

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments below! If you liked it, leave a kudos and subscribe :)


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